Aishiteru, Maliksama
by Shoujo's Revenge
Summary: A girl just joined a gang of card stealers called the Ghouls but there's one problem. Only males are allowed to join. Can she pretend to be a guy enough to get close to the coldhearted leader of the group or will she be found out? MalikXoc
1. Prolouge

Summary: A girl just joined a gang of card stealers called the Ghouls but there's one problem. Only males are allowed to join. Can she pretend to be a guy enough to get close to the cold-hearted leader of the group or will she be found out? MalikXoc  
  
A/N: I noticed that all the rarehunters are male so I decided to do a story about a female rarehunter but one that's slightly different from other Malik/OC fics. Nobody knows that my oc is a girl except for Rishid.  
  
Prolouge (Journal Entry)  
  
Dear Journal,  
  
Today was a very interesting day. First, I woke up in a desert in the middle of nowhere. Although, I was lucky enough to stumble upon some kind of marketplace. I was feeling relieved that I wasn't completely alone in this place but I felt scared of all these strangely dressed people. I stood out like a sore thumb. I was wearing tattered clothing which were a long- sleeved shirt and a long skirt while the others wear practically all white dresses. Some of them had funny looking headwear on. But I don't recall ever being in this country. Do I live here or something? If I do, then how come I don't know my way around? Maybe I was visiting this place and I'm currently staying in a hotel. All kinds of questions and assumptions ran through my head. But one question remained the most important one of all. Who was I?  
  
After realizing that I had no memory at all, I started to weep and collapsed to the ground on my knees. People started to gather around me and I could hear their concerned mutterings. I couldn't understand a thing they were saying but by the one of their voices, I could tell they were either pitying me or saying dirty comments about me. I didn't care though, I didn't care about anything except regaining my memories things about my life and going home to my family. IF I had anyone at all.  
  
Then I heard a deep voice and felt a hand on my shoulder. "Stop crying, young lady. Crying will not help to solve any problems you have." it said. I looked up and saw a bald man but he had a ponytail on the top of his head. He pulled me up and walked with me while I explained to him about my situation. I was lucky he spoke my language. I know it's foolish of me to trust a complete stranger but since I didn't have anyone right now. I couldn't be too picky, could I?  
  
I found out his name was Rishid. I asked him about his strange choice of clothing which was a deep violet cloak. It was then that he told me of the organization he's in. He told me that if I joined, I could have anything I want if I did everything the leader says. His exact words got stuck in my head. " If you joined the Ghouls, you shall get anything you desire." It was too good to be true but I was desperate. So my answer was....  
  
"Yes, I want to join this organization."  
  
"Good. You won't regret it but there's only one problem..."  
  
A/N: okay, so Rishid is really out of character. Sorry I tried to do the best I can. I just don't know much about him. Also, if you liked this so far, send in a review. If you hated it, then don't. 


	2. Questions, Decisions and Lessons

Aishiteru, Malik-sama  
  
Summary: A young girl loses her memory and joins the organization, Ghouls, to regain them. But only males can join and to top it off she fell in love with the leader. Malik/OC Crossingdressing and love collides  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"What kind of problem are you talking about?" I asked curiously.  
  
"Only males can join", he said.  
  
"So why did you mention it in the first place?" I asked angrily.  
  
I was clearly getting pissed off and it was because he had all my hopes up just a second ago. Then crushes it with the disappointing truth. What kind of person was he?  
  
"This is a simple solution to this problem."  
  
"Yeah? What's that?" I asked.  
  
"Crossdressing," he simply said.  
  
I couldn't comprehend what he said at first then when it hit me....  
  
"What? Are you crazy?!" I yelled.  
  
Everybody started to stare at us again. I blushed red with embarrassment and started to walk away from their gaze. Once we were out of their sight, I asked more quietly:  
  
"Are you crazy?"  
  
"You do want to regain your memories, am I correct?" he asked seriously.  
  
I nodded. Suddenly my throat was too dry to allow me to talk anymore.  
  
"You are fortunate. Most people in your place go through life trying to regain their memories but never succeeds. But I'm going to give you a chance to do exactly what these people failed to do. Do you still decline?"  
  
I began to think about all these things he just said. All kinds of questions popped into my head such as: what if I was one of those people? Never be able to find out how their life was like? Yet he was willing to give me a chance to make my wish of remembering everything come true. But how? What was so special about this organization that can make anything happen? Then again why was I even listening to this guy? He could be lying. But really what have I got to lose?  
  
"I accept" I croaked, trying to clear my throat.  
  
"You do not sound well. Are you all right?" he asked somewhat worriedly.  
  
I nodded again. But in truth, I was hungry, thirsty and tired. The sun bore down on me. I was also dirty from lying in the desert sand for so long. I wonder how long I had been unconscious in the desert. I couldn't take it anymore. The last thing I remember was fainting under the sun's violent rays.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
As I lift open my heavy eyelids, I could see that I was in a dark and dreary room. The wet cloth that was on my forehead slid off as I sat up in the bed. My stomach growled but I ignored it because I was afraid to be here. Wherever this was. I heard the jangling of the doorknob so I quickly laid down and pretended to be asleep. I was too nervous and afraid to open my eyes. The slow footsteps were nearing the bed I was currently in. I struggled to keep my heart from pounding so hard.  
  
"Wake up, young lady" a voice said, shaking my shoulder.  
  
I opened my eyes and saw Rishid standing there carrying a tray of fruit. I was overjoyed for some food that I practically jumped up off the bed and graciously grabbed the tray. I said thank you between each bite of fruit. (Rishid stood there and sweatdropped at the sight.)  
  
"If you're going to became a member of the Ghouls, you will need an appropriate attire," he said, which caught my attention.  
  
I looked down at my tattered clothing and decided that he was right. But what else did I have to wear? As if he could read my mind, he handed me the same thing that he had on. But as I examined it, I could see that it was too big for me to wear.  
  
"But Rishid-san, this is too big for me."  
  
"I know but it's only temporary. I will find another one that fits you later" he said.  
  
"Thankyou! You don't know how much this means to me!" I said happily.  
  
"It is no problem but just remember to do everything that Malik-sama says."  
  
"Malik-sama?"  
  
"He's the creator and leader of Ghouls."  
  
"Oh, hai!"  
  
"Now we're going to have a few adjustments."  
  
"What adjustments?"  
  
"Adjustments concerning some of your feminine features." Rishid said uncomfortably.  
  
I could see that he was uncomfortable with this situation but compared to me I was the MOST uncomfortable. Finally, he pointed to my chest to indicate what he meant by 'feminine features'. I was so embarrassed that I avoided his gaze and covered my chest with my arms.  
  
"So I'm going to have to bind them every single day?" I asked.  
  
"If you don't want anybody else to find out."  
  
I sighed, "Fine anything to be in this thing." (she means the organization)  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A few minutes later, I was all ready in my new 'uniform.' I was feeling uptight since I had to bind my chest tightly with a piece of cloth. But other than that I was ready to meet this Malik-sama and pledge my loyalty to him. But in case, I messed up, Rishid taught me a few things about being masculine and how to act around Malik-sama. In fact, he was just finishing up his lesson. I had to watch him so all these kinds of things that men do and I couldn't help but snicker a few times.  
  
"So I have to walk like this?" I asked, faking a strut that he just showed me.  
  
"No, no, no" he said agitated, shaking his head.  
  
"Then like this?" I asked again, trying to imitate what he showed me.  
  
Unfortunately, I tripped on the cape of the cloak he gave me. I giggled nervously to show that I was trying to work hard. He looked like he had a headache.  
  
"Maybe Malik-sama won't notice the difference. Now for your voice. Can you speak in a lower voice?"  
  
"Like this? (in a low voice)Hello?"  
  
"How about a little bit deeper?"  
  
"Like this? (deep voice) Hello?"  
  
"That's not that bad but not good either. Why don't you try to add them together?"  
  
"Fine. (deep and low voice) Hi. Is that good enough? I'm sick of this already." I said, couldn't help but whine.  
  
"Just be patient. It will be over soon. Now all we have to do is make you look more masculine"  
  
"How do we do that?" I asked, looking at him.  
  
Then he brought out something that scared the senses out of me. I was so shocked that he was holding a dagger in his hands. Was he going to carve my face or something?  
  
"Don't be afraid. I'm only going to trim your long hair. Turn around."  
  
I did as I was told. He put my hair into a ponytail and cut off the extra hair. I watched as my long black locks dropped to the floor. When he was finished, I touched my hair and felt that it was short to my lower neck. At least it wasn't that short. (It's a few inches longer than Anzu/Tea's haircut) But I still couldn't help but miss my long hair.  
  
"Is there anything else we need to do to me?" I asked emotionally.  
  
I know I should be thankful but I resented having to change myself for something that I didn't know much about. I wonder if joining the Ghouls would really help me with my dilemma. But I should be grateful just for some shelter and food. I should be thankful for someone like Rishid. If it wasn't for him, I would probably be starving and be out there all alone.  
  
"Thank you," I said, suddenly and hugging Rishid.  
  
"You are welcome," he said, patting my head.  
  
"I feel ready to meet Malik-sama."  
  
"Yes, but you need a name."  
  
I started to think of one when a female voice ran through my head, 'Amaya, come back!'  
  
"Amaya?" I whispered.  
  
"You need a male name. I know the name that suits you."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Osaze."  
  
"What does it mean?"  
  
"Loved by God," he said.  
  
"Loved by God." I repeated but I didn't felt loved by God.  
  
Next Chapter: 'Osaze' meets Malik-sama. Read to find out how each of them thinks of the other one in chapter 2: First Impressions and a Strange Encounter. Also, read how Osaze have flashbacks of her life and how she almost recognizes someone while shopping at the marketplace. 


	3. Blurred Memories and Her Predicament

Chapter Summary: Ozase, the girl who lost her memories and Rishid renamed, is nervous as she follows him to Malik-sama's chambers. So she could pledge her loyalty to him and learn about her duties as a Rarehunter. But as she follows him, she starts to get a brief memory of her life. She also see to meet Malik-sama for the first time!  
  
Kelz 8P: Thank you reviewers for your friendly comments. ^_^  
  
I was in awe and scared at the same time, as I followed Rishid-san to this Malik-sama's chambers. I wonder how he looks like? I hoped against hopes that he wouldn't see through my disguise. I mean, I had to admit myself that it was a pretty bad disguise. I mean, maybe some people would be fooled but if they looked closer, they'd clearly see....My God! This is such a long corridor! When are we going to be there?  
  
I was bored and tired. This is such a huge place! I looked at the designs on the walls, it was the same thing. There were some other designs of people and animals. But there were also a lot of eye designs. It was a very unique eye design. I've never seen anything like it. (I think) Errm....a lot of carved animal-like designs. Out of curiousity, I started to run my hands along the wall. My eyelids started to droop as my hand continued to trail the designs. For some reason, my body started to feel heavy. My vision started to blur in front of me. My foot started to stumble in front of another and up ahead Rishid-san's body blurred.  
  
'Rishid-san, what is this dark place? Is this Malik-sama's chambers?'  
  
I couldn't breathe and I tried to look for any sign of light but no, I couldn't find anything but darkness. I couldn't see anything and I have this heavy feeling in my heart. It pains me so much that I wish it would just go away.  
  
"Amaya, it's time to go home. Amaya, just take hold of my hand and you'll be all right," a voice whispered.  
  
"Who's Amaya? Hello? Where are you?" I yelled in panic.  
  
I turned round and round to try to find the source of the voice but I found nothing but darkness. I walked and I tried to touch something, just anything, to assure that I was somewhere and that I wasn't in space or something.  
  
Desperate, I screamed out,"I can't breathe! Can someone help me?! Please! I'll do anything!"  
  
A hand grabbed me and pulled me against something, a body, a warm body with arms encircling around my waist. Even though, I should feel safe especially in all the darkness but I don't. A feeling inside of me told me to get away from this someone.  
  
"NO!" I screamed, releasing myself from this person.  
  
Then I ran and ran further in the dark. Away....away from him.  
  
"Ahh!" I screamed, but Rishid-san covered my mouth.  
  
I opened my eyes, and looked at the atmosphere around me in alarm as if expecting to see someone I hate. There was no one but me and Rishid-san, who looked at me with worry in his eyes. I was somehow sitting on the smooth stone floor, sweating profusely and panting heavily. I was scared of someone that was the only thing that popped into my mind.  
  
"Apparently you aren't ready to meet Malik-sama tonight," Rishid-san said.  
  
I wanted to disagree because of all the things he tried so hard to teach me how to act around of Malik-sama. Yet my tired body agreed with him so I nodded and we walked back to his room. Besides, this gives me plenty of time to think about how to improve my disguise so that it was foolproof. Also, whether or not I can do what this Malik-sama orders everyone else. But for the sake of my lost memory, I'll at least try.  
  
"I'm sorry, Rishid-san," I said.  
  
In truth, I didn't know whether I was apologizing because he helped me so much and I haven't done anything in turn for him or that I fainted when I should've have endured my dizziness and meet Malik-sama so we wouldn't have to try it tomorrow. I might be wasting his time.  
  
"That is all right. I should've have known that you aren't well enough," he said.  
  
'He's so nice. A little TOO nice. I wonder why?' a thought entered my mind, but I brushed it aside.  
  
Why if my mind was right? Is he being overfriendly because he wants something in return?  
  
'People are only nice to you because they want something else in return,' a voice said in my head.  
  
But it wasn't my voice. It was a male voice. A cold male voice.  
  
Why was I even worried?  
  
{"Adjustments concerning some of your feminine features." Rishid said uncomfortably.  
  
I could see that he was uncomfortable with this situation but compared to me I was the MOST uncomfortable. Finally, he pointed to my chest to indicate what he meant by 'feminine features'. I was so embarrassed that I avoided his gaze and covered my chest with my arms.}  
  
I remembered when just this afternoon when he was so uncomfortable just talking about my as he would put it 'feminine features'. I chuckled to myself that I was worried about that even for a second. I didn't bother to change my clothes when I fell asleep on the floor of Rishid-san's room. I used my arms as my pillow and went to sleep not caring about the hard floor.  
  
{"Amaya-chan, I think that that jerk is stalking you."  
  
"Shut up, that's scary. Besides, he's probably just passing by."  
  
"Well let's see. He only 'passes' by whenever you're after school but when you're not, he never comes. Do you see a pattern forming or do you really want me to literally spell it out for you? He even knows your schedule!"  
  
"........"  
  
"So why don't you just go talk to him and tell him to cut it out? Amaya, are you all right? Your face is so pale! I'm worried about you."}  
  
I tossed and turned, gripped the blankets tightly and I could almost see it. I could almost make out the image of me and someone else beside me. Someone with long brown hair tied in a ponytail. I could see that she was a pretty girl and my age too. Although, she looked a little bit older than me. We wore black uniforms with a short plaited skirt and a red bow. Chatting and looking at something.  
  
I've had three flashbacks of my memories and everyone of them contained the name 'Amaya'. So I finally figured out my first name, but unfortunately, I couldn't use it if I had to be a guy. Suddenly, it dawned on me, I was in Rishid-san's bed again! But where was he? I look on the floor and I see him having a hard time sleeping on the hard floor. I felt bad especially since I took away his bed.  
  
I sighed and hung my head down. This is so depressing. Not only do I not remember anything about my family, my lifestyle and even myself but I'm also making someone miserable because of it. Depressed out of my mind, I got out of bed and changed into my tattered clothes. I wasn't so tired anymore.  
  
"Damn it..." I cursed, poking a finger through a hole on my shirt.  
  
Oh, well, I shouldn't exactly complain too much. Any clothes are fine with me as long as I had something on. So I was pretty lucky to have had clothes on my back. Hmm....I can't get to sleep right now. So I might as well go out and get some fresh air. Looking back at Rishid-san, I could see that he was in a deep sleep. I didn't want to disturb him so I tiptoed over him and walked out of the door.  
  
Once I was outside the door, it dawned on me. I didn't know the directions to anywhere! My face scrunched up in frustration.  
  
"Oh, well. Guess I should just trust my instincts," I said to myself, trying to reassure myself.  
  
So I started to walk down the dark and creepy hallways, occasionally nervously twirling my strands of my slightly messy black hair between my fingers. I made a note to myself to wash my hair the first chance I get. The walls were tall and made of gold. There were also some engravings on these walls. I wished I knew how to read it. They looked like they told an interesting story.  
  
The walk didn't last long when I stopped in front of an interesting looking door. It was so noticable. Nobody could've passed it even if they wanted to. It caught my attention and held it for what seems to be the longest time. I bit into my bottom lip and brought a shaking hand in front of me and opened the huge gold doors.  
  
"Sugoi!" I said, amazed.  
  
All this time I could've taken a bath in this hot spring heaven! I didn't what made me or should I say my feet? My feet kept on walking to the edge of the hot spring. I dipped an index finger into the water. It was so warm! It was perfect! I wanted to take a bath so badly! Without even thinking, I started to take off my shirt and skirt when I heard some footsteps!  
  
'Eek!' I yelped mentally.  
  
I could've slapped myself at this moment, I had forgotten to close the doors! Stupid! That meant that not only can anyone peek in on me but they can also see that I'm a girl! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!  
  
I covered my mouth with my hand to keep myself from screaming. If they found me, I don't know what they would do to me! I should hide! I should hide! But where?! Where?! Inside the bath?! Yeah! It was perfect! No it wasn't! I could suffocate in there without oxygen! I know....behind that huge stone tablet!  
  
I hid myself behind the huge stone block which also had some carvings. Because I was so nervous and scared, I started to trace the carvings with my fingers again and bit down on my bottom lip as hard as I can. Whimpering sounds came out of me and I continued to bite harder on my bottom lip to stop it.  
  
'I should've stayed with Rishid-san! I should've stayed with him!' I waited until the footsteps stopped and they eventually did except that they were inside in the hot spring room too with me! So basically I was inside here too .....with a man. A man who was beginning to take off his cloak! I wanted to turn away but I couldn't. Not until I saw his face which was currently covered by the shadows of his hood.  
  
A frustrated looking man but he looks to be more like a teenager than a man. Bleached blonde hair to his shoulders, golden jewelry adorned his body, and that was all I could see since I was so far from him. But I could still feel my face heating up. The heat rapidly rose to a higher temperature when he started to take off his-I gulped then pulled away quickly. I smacked myself on my forehead and cursed to myself.  
  
A/N: Err....ta-da? That's chapter 2 for you! I changed it because I didn't really know how I should've depict the scene where Malik and Amaya first meets. Don't worry. I will try to make this different from most character/OC stories. There's a few surprises that are going to be revealed! Btw, I know that this chapter was a little dry, boring, poorly written but I'm trying my best. Next chapter will probably be more eventful and tolerable. 


	4. Her Predicament II

Aishiteru, Malik-sama

A/N: So sorry that I made everyone made such a long time for me to review. I just had huge writer's block for all of my fics. I also contemplated whether or not I should rewrite every chapter and change it to third person instead of first person. Okay. To answer Nami the Tomb Robber Girl, Ozase probably should've realized by now that she came from Japan, huh? Thanks for pointing that out for me, I'll be sure to include it in one of the chapters. By the way, in case nobody didn't know already, the events inside the {} are flashbacks or past memories.

Chapter 3: Her Predicament 2

Rishid's POV

I woke up with a start when a chill ran down my spine. The first thought that ran across my mind was to check the bed. Instead of seeing the girl like I expected, I saw that the bed was empty with only the sheets and blanket to occupy it. I also noticed that the cloak that I lent Osaze sprawled over the pillow. Could it be that she actually ran away because she felt that she couldn't trust me?

No, that couldn't be it. She didn't seem to be distrusting towards me. In fact, she seemed to be too grateful to leave.

{"Thank you," she said, suddenly and hugging me.

"You are welcome," I said, patting her head.}

I honestly don't know why I recruited a young girl to the organization. Especially such a young and vunerable girl, that from what I've seen so far, can't do anything right. What could Malik-sama possibly gain from her? He would probably kill her when he finds that she can't do anything worthy for him. But with proper training from me, perhaps she could become one of the most elite duelists. I was surprised at myself to be putting some faith into the amnesic girl. (A/N: amnesic doesn't mean she has an eating disorder, it means she doesn't have her memory.)

I could see a faint glimmer of silver out of my corner of my eyes. I turned to the door and locked my gaze on a silver ring. I walked over to the little shimmering piece of jewelry. Picking it up, I examined it by moving it around with my fingers. It was a small ring which barely fit my last finger and it had a one word message. I examined closer to it and saw it had a Japanese word but I didn't know what it said. I pocketed it inside my cloak.

I assume that it dropped from Osaze's pocket when I carried her in here earlier. I probably didn't notice it until now or....it dropped from her pocket when she went out! But that would mean that she's out of this door somewhere where any of the Ghouls can catch her! Alarmed, I ran out of the door with the preconceived thoughts what they might do to her besides informing Malik-sama of her unwelcomed presence.

'She's too young to be exposed to that kind of treatment', I thought as I ran as if for my dear life.

But I, unfortunately, had no clue where to start. Where could she be? She couldn't be outside for she didn't know directions to anywhere. That was the very thought that had me worry some more. I had to think rationally. If I was her, where would I go? I would probably exploring be the whole place. That doesn't help me one bit!

Maybe she's with Malik-sama right now! He's growing up and hormones are probably racing inside of him. Well, it seems that none of my thoughts are comforting today. Although, he's too absorbed with trying to get his revenge then with girls like most teenage boys his age. (A/N: Sorry but I just had to include this part.)

Osaze's POV

Right now, I had two options: 1) Wait until this guy is finished or 2) Try to sneak past him. The first choice seemed to be the safest choice but what if he should take a long time? I'm starting to fall asleep now. AHHH!!!! This is no time to be falling asleep. But I can't control my drooping eyes. A yawn escaped my lips and I am clutching onto the edge of the tablet, trying to keep an eye on him so I can see when he's finishing. I know that makes me sound like a pervert. I can't help it. How will I know when it's safe to walk back to Rishid-san's room if I don't watch him. Besides, I am only watching the back of his head and not....the rest of him.

Turning my head away, I busied myself with the images of the tablet. On the tablet, there are three big creatures. One of them looked like a huge bird while another looked like a huge dragon and the third one? Well, it just captivated my interest more than the other two.

"Damn Pharoah!" I heard someone cursed with the sound of water splashing. "They fail every single time! Even if their decks are stacked with the powerful cards!" I peered over at him again. He banged his fist against the floor next to the hot spring everytime he cursed this Pharoah, complaining about cards of some sort. I wonder what kind of cards he's talking about?

Why are these cards and this Pharoah so important to him? What year was this anyway? I thought Pharoahs died out or was I confused about the year?

Or maybe this guy's just crazy. So I guess that this gang will accept anyone as a member. Would I have to meet more crazy ones like him?

I sighed quietly, after the frustrated Egyptian settled down and seemed to look down at the water. He was probably looking at his reflection in the warm water, as he was running his fingers over his face. I looked enviously at him, sitting in that warm water and feeling clean. If I didn't want him to find out I was here, I'd yelled at him a long time ago for hogging the bath.

"I'm going to get the revenge I so desire if it's the last thing I do!" I heard him saying with so much hatred in his voice.

I gasped, a cold sensation ran up and down my spine, which made me jolt up from the kneeling position I was previously in. After he uttered those words, I was suddenly struck with this chilly feeling....

Suddenly, Rishid-san burst through the already opened double doors, and stammers,"I am sorry, Malik-sama for intruding on you, but I-"

I looked over the side of the tablet, waved my arms in the air and caught his attention, resulting in the paling of his face. I guiltily mouthed 'sorry' and pointed to the guy, who had his head turned away from me, and his full attention on Rishid-san.

"What is the meaning of this, Rishid?" he asked calmly, although his voice had a bit of a chill to it.

"Malik-sama, I have recruited new members to Ghouls. They're all waiting for your orders," Rishid-san blurted out.

"That's excellent, Rishid, but can't you see that I'm currently busy?" the one whom Rishid-san called 'Malik-sama', said irritably.

'Oh, great. I'm gonna be stuck here for the rest of the night,' I thought, watching Rishid-san, trying to figure out a way to get me out of here.

"I apologize again for my lack of respect, however, I must ask of your assistance in trying to control some of them. They're uh...anticipating your prescence," Rishid-san said, visibly sweating.

Not exactly a great excuse, although, hopefully it will work. I prayed to single god or goddess out there, make him believe the lie.

"Very well. Turn around," he said, starting to get out of the hot spring. As if on cue, Rishid-san and I turned around, waiting for him to put his clothes on.

After the rustling of clothes stopped, I turned around and was relieved that he was fully dressed in his dark violet cloak. He walked out of the golden double doors and Rishid-san followed. I finally came out from my hiding place, breathed a huge relieved sigh. I looked at the water, watching some of the steam rise from the surface of the water and sighed again.

"I guess I'll take a bath another time." I said, solemnly.

Desperately, I wanted to clean myself of sand and dirt. Although, I couldn't risk almost getting caught again.

Later...

"I'm sorry, Rishid-san. I should've just stayed in this room," I apologized for the 8th time.

"That's all right, but you can't wander around the lair again. As you already know, all of the members are males and if they caught you and found out you're a girl...." he trailed off, sewing the purple cloak so it would fit me in the future.

"I understand," I said, laying my head down on the white pillow. "And thank you for rescuing me."

He didn't say anything and just nodded.

"Malik-sama is so young," I suddenly said, looking at Rishid-san. For a moment, he looked sad but recovered himself and again, his face bore an apathetic expression.

"Yes...he is," he said, then turned away from me.

'He seemed to be just a few years older than me and his voice was pretty deep. So the one I'm supposed to serve is only that young? I was sure that he was going to be a middle aged man.'

"Osaze?" Rishid-san said, waving his hand in my face.

"Huh?" I said, snapping back into reality.

He handed the altered cloak to me and I gratefully accepted it with a simple 'thanks'. The train was actually much shorter now so I wouldn't trip on it when I finally meet Malik-sama. I gripped onto the hem of it and hugged it to my chest. Rishid-san is just sitting on the corner of the bed and yet I still feel lonely.

"It's late. You need some strength for tomorrow's meeting with Malik-sama so you should rest," he said, pushing me down on the bed and pulling the covers over me.

"But this is your bed!" I exclaimed, pushing myself up again.

"Correct but I'm lending it to you until tomorrow when you'll get your own bed. I can tolerate sleeping on the floor for just one night," he said, pushing me down again.

"Arigatou, Rishid-san," I said, before drifting off to sleep.

In the Morning... 

I was once again walking down the huge corridors to Malik-sama's chambers so I could pledge my allegiance to him. Of course, I was nervous again like last time. I should just follow Rishid-san's advice and remember all my lessons on how to be a guy. So I have to walk like I'm a man and don't trip on anything and talk in a deep voice. Also, keep my head bowed at all times unless he instructs me to do otherwise.

In front of me, there are taller guys, who wants to become Ghouls, all wearing the official cloaks, just like me. I looked around to make sure that no one was watching me while I patted my chest to make sure that my chest was bound tightly and that nothing was 'popping' out. I was suddenly rudely pushed by someone behind me, who snapped, "Move it already!" Because the guy was so strong, I bumped into the guy in front of me.

"Watch where you're going!" he turned around and snapped at me.

"Sorry...." I said, trying to get away from his glare.

'Bastard' I thought, glaring at his back.

While the rest of the them started to talk to each other about what they're going to be expecting after joining Ghouls, I was engaged into my own thoughts about what to expect. Rishid-san told me that I could regain my memories but how is that possible? I don't even what to think about it anymore. It was so depressing but I have to have at least a little bit of hope. Maybe they seriously can help me. Even if I don't remember anything, at least I can get some money and start searching for my family.

Up ahead, Rishid stood next to a closed door, he looked me straight in the eye and mouthed 'Good luck'. Malik-sama was inside the room of that door and I was nearing it along with the others. The others were eager to go inside while my stomach was beginning to hurt. In fact, my whole body was going numb.

'No! Please don't faint now! No!' My vision was beginning to fail me and I was struggling to stand up. I should've gotten more sleep yesterday!

A/N: Ooh! Cliffhanger! Sorry for not including much of Malik again but the next chapter he'll appear more. Btw, for anyone who doesn't know, the title translates to 'I Love You, Master Malik'.


	5. Meeting Maliksama

Aishiteru, Malik-sama

A/N: It's been at least a month and more before I updated. High school is really being a nuisance but I still have to get an education and I've been tired on the weekends sometimes. Anyway, enjoy chapter 4, but before that let me just say, please please stop telling me to 'continue' as a review. It's great that you want me to review, although tell me which part you liked, hated, could've improved on, etc. When the reviews are 'continue' or 'update' is like you're commanding me to. Btw, I wrote this chapter in 3rd person so the story will go faster.

Listening to Evanescence to get into angsty mood.

Chapter 4: Meeting Malik-sama

Osaze sighed in relief, she was relieved that she didn't keel over in front of all of them. If she had fainted, she was sure to cause attention then she might possibly have been exposed as the girl she really was. Her stomach didn't hurt as much anymore and her legs weren't as tired. Her eyes were fine now, she could see clearly. Although, she was still reeling from the unexpected headache.

She could follow the others to Malik-sama's chambers, much to Rishid's relief. Just a minute ago, he had seen that she was wobbling like she was about to faint again. Thankfully, she regained herself and could finally pledge her loyalty to his master. She was nervous yet happy at the same time, _I might finally be able to find my family! _It didn't matter what Malik-sama commanded her to do; she would do whatever it takes to find out about her past.

The loud creaking of the large door leading to Malik-sama's chambers opened while Amaya and the followers filed into the large room. It was chilly and dark in the room with only torches hanging on the walls as their only source of light. Osaze couldn't help but shiver under her cloak, only wearing a piece of cloth to bind her chest and her panties. Her dirty clothes were hidden somewhere in Rishid's room, in case, someone discovers them.

Murmuring could be heard throughout the room as the soon to be followers were wondering on where Malik-sama could be. In front of them, they could see a golden throne, which was empty. It had a strange eye symbol on it, similar to the other eye symbols seen on every door. Osaze couldn't figure out what was so special about the eye symbols.

Before she could contemplate their special meaning, a loud boom was heard, surprising everyone. The same angry teenage boy she saw in the hot spring stood in front of them all. He had entered from another golden door right behind the throne. He looked down at them all, scrutinizing all of them with his violet eyes. Everybody, including Osaze, looked down on the floor to get away from his stare.

Osaze felt like he could see through her disguise, she wished that she had worn something under the cloak. Although, the clothes were getting too itchy for her, so she just wore undergarments and put the cloak over her body. Now she was regretting her decision she made this morning, what if for some weird reason, they all had to take off their cloaks? Then they would all see that she wasn't one of them. _Get ahold of yourself, they won't ask you to do that. I hope not, anyway. _She thought as she pulled the cloak closer to her body.

Rishid came up beside Malik-sama, he loudly told everybody to form rows of neat lines. They did as they were told and Osaze followed their lead, getting in the nearest line and waited as Malik-sama came down and judged them for himself. Rishid judged the people lined up to the right side of the room while Malik judged the people on the left side. Amaya was on the left side of the room, in the line that Malik was currently checking. She was the last person in the line and he was already checking the person right next to her.

She remembered that Rishid telling her to just bow her head before Malik whenever she would see him. She was visibly shaking as Malik told her to look up at him, she was supposed to be charading as a man. She should be fearless, however, she couldn't stop thinking that she would be discovered. Malik told her to look up at him again, she quickly regained herself and obediently looked at him.

She calmed down slightly as she stared at his beautiful lilac eyes. _EEK! What am I doing!? Quick, look down again! _Malik was irritated that the person in front of him, looked down again when he just told 'him' to look up. He roughly grabbed 'him' by his black hair and angrily told him never to disobey him. Amaya was shocked, nonetheless, but she quickily said "Yes, Malik-sama" in a deep voice. She also told him that her name was Osaze, when Malik asked her for her name.

The initiation didn't last long, after they were all informed by Malik on their goal was. Rishid was instructed to show everybody to their rooms, every Ghoul member had to share rooms, with the exception of Malik and Rishid. Unfortunately, Amaya had to share a room with two guys. One of them was a young man, probably as young as Malik but the other was even older than Rishid. The young man named Hoshi was kind of cute in Amaya's opinion, but she was still uncomfortable with him.

It was true that she shared a room with Rishid when she first came into the lair, he seemed to be trustworthy. He didn't seem to be the type that would take advantage of her. In fact, he treated her as if she was his little sister. Luckily for her, Hoshi was the kind to keep to himself and the older man was busy reading something. They didn't seem to pay an ounce of attention to Amaya, which was completely fine with her.

Regarding the bath situation, Rishid told her earlier that all the men bathe together. When he spotted the look on her face, he knew why she was looking so worried and nervous. He told her that he would secretly tell her when the hot spring was empty she could take a quick bath alone. He would also guard the door so nobody else could go in.

Amaya was relieved to have such a good friend to help her. Although, she was still sketchy on the subject of clothes. The only garments she had was practically torn up in places and she wouldn't be able to wear them anyway. The only thing she had now was a purple cloak and her undergarments. Hopefully, she would be able to buy some clothes when she would go to the marketplace tomorrow.

The majority of the Ghoul members were to duel at a Duel Monsters tournament and win the rarest cards of the opponents, but they also had members whose job was to go to the marketplace and make dinner. That was Amaya's duty in the organization, which was fine with her. She didn't know how to duel with the Duel Monsters that Malik was talking about. Amaya could vaguely remember that she could make at least two or three dishes.

Later that night

The sun went down as soon as Amaya returned from the hot spring, feeling refreshed since the first time she came here. The room that she shared with Hoshi and the other man was dark and quiet except for somebody's snoring. She sighed, happy that nobody noticed that she was gone. She carefully crept to her bed, which was in the corner of the room. She was worried about some things, but overall, she felt optimistic. She felt like she could truly find her family and find out everything about herself. Her likes, her dislikes, how her parents and friends are like and if she had a boyfriend. She bet that they all missed her.

As she slipped into bed, a hand clamped itself over her mouth and another hand crept up her leg. She struggled under the blankets, trying to get out of the person's hold and screaming out into the still night.

"Shut up. It's just me." a deep annoyed voice said.

"NOO!!!" Amaya screamed.

She sat up on her bed, sweat dripping down her forehead. She wiped her brow with the back of her hand and squeezed onto the sides of the bed, she looked at her surroundings. She was still in her dark room, her two roommates were still sleeping and snoring. They hadn't heard her scream.

_Why did I dream that? Something like that won't happen in real life to me, would it?_

A/N: Yeah, I know I switched Amaya with Osaze halfway through the chapter. I just liked the name Amaya better than Osaze. But don't worry, I'll switch back to Osaze so nobody would be confused. Just remember that everybody refer to her as Osaze unless I say otherwise. This fic might be changed to rated R because of Amaya's terrible past.

**Review Replies**

**zapper133: **hehe I only had her faint because I thought of an obstacle to make Amaya (Osaze)'s life in Ghouls harder, but then I changed my mind because it's too much to add.

**Queen of the Moon: **Cool! First time, it's the first time someone gave me plushies for writing cliffhangers! D I get four Yami plushies and now I just need the rest of the cast. XD And yes, I also want the girl plushies too.

**trueyamigirlfriend: **Thanks for still reviewing, even though I took a very long time to update. Yeah, we all do and I'm still waiting for certain authors to update their fics which was like 2 or 3 years. You really think it's still good? Well, the good parts aren't even written up yet but they should already do. I still have them in my mind and the ending is going to be surprisingly.....actually not telling.


	6. Almost Got Caught

Aishiteru, Malik-sama

**A/N: Okay, I'm going to strike a deal with all of my reviewers. If at least 5 reviewers of this particular story give me good reviews for this and future chapters, then I'll update for a day in each three weeks. **

**'Good' reviews doesn't mean long reviews, it just means that you have to tell me which part you liked, hated, why you liked it or how I can improve this story, etc. It can't be like three words exactly like 'great story, plz continue' or anything like that. If you don't give me good reviews, then that's fine. I won't stop updating; I just won't update as much. **

Chapter 5: Almost Got Caught

While Rishid was informing Amaya on Malik's likes and dislikes, she was angrily thinking about how he manhandled her yesterday. All she did was look away from him. Did he really have to pull her head back like that? She did her best to forget about that small incident, but she was still thinking about it. She didn't realize that she was about to rip the cloak that she was wringing the water out of. Her mind was preoccupied with the thought of his intense eyes...

She quickly shook her head and concentrated more on the piles of clothes that she had to wash. Not only was her job to cook for the entire organization, but she also had to do their laundry. Rishid was nice enough to help her that morning. She was so thankful that she bowed and repeatedly thanked him for his generosity. She was in charge of washing the cloaks, shirts and pants. Rishid offered to do the dirty undergarments since Amaya couldn't stop blushing at the sight of a pair of shorts. He did some shirts and pants after he was finished.

Luckily for them, Rishid and Amaya started to wash the laundry before the sun came up. It saved them the trouble of having the sun glare down on them while they worked. The piles of clothes were almost done.

"It's important that you remember what I've told you, Osaze," Rishid said, looking up from the water.

He saw that Amaya seemed to have something else on her mine while she scrubbed the same cloak that she'd already washed a minute ago. He used his leg to kick water to her daydreaming face. Surprised, she sputtered and coughed, trying to get the water out of her nose. She indignantly said,"HEY!" Then she blushed out of embarrassment; it dawned on her that she was ignoring her savior.

She didn't want to disrespect the one, who's helping her through this hard time. She looked down in shame and said,"Gomen ne, Rishid-san!"

As he looked down at Amaya, he suddenly remembered a specific memory in the past.

**Ten-year-old Isis wagged her index finger at six-year-old Malik. The young boy's head was hung in shame. He had done something that would surely make Father furious. **

**"Malik, don't play with the Sennen items again. They are very important to Father. If anything were to happen to them..." Malik nodded up and down slowly. **

**"Sorry, sister..." he said.**

There was actually a time when his master wasn't full of reckless hate.

"Rishid-san, I think the laundry is done. We should be heading back and make breakfast, ne?" Amaya questioned, snapping Rishid out of his reverie. He nodded after hearing her repeat the question. Amaya looked curiously at him.

"Rishid-san, were you thinking about something? You looked so sad just now," she said.

"It's nothing. It's just that, just now you reminded me of someone I knew in the past," he said, gathering the piles of clothes into a basket.

Amaya didn't say anything, just started to place the bundle of clothes neatly into a nearby basket. She had a look of concern for him as she followed him. _What was he thinking about that made him so sad?_

After they returned to headquarters, they split up for different destinations. It was almost seven, the time that Malik-sama would usually wake up so Rishid went off to prepare. Amaya departed to go to the hot spring room, when no one would be there. It would be best if she just stayed there for a few minutes, that's what Rishid advised. She couldn't stay in there the whole day like she wished she could. She had to take a quick dip since she had to serve breakfast in twenty minutes.

Once she arrived at the hot spring room, she took off her cloak. She dipped a foot in the warm soothing water then lowered her whole body. Her cloak lay crumbled to the floor.

"Ahh..." she sighed contently.

The steam in the atmosphere was most calming. She forgot about her breakfast duties and started to swim in the water. All her worries seemed to be melting away. Her mind was in total bliss.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," a deep voice said.

Amaya's eyes widened, dipping her body lower in the water. Only the half-top of her head could be seen now. She nervously looked up at one of her roommates, Hoshi. He had an apathetic expression on his visage, but he sweatdropped at Osaze's strange behavior.

"Why are you looking me like I'm going to kill you at any moment?" he asked.

He was unaware that Osaze was hiding something. Amaya bit down on her bottom lip, her arms wrapped tightly around her chest. The steam rising form the surface of the water covered up her body well, but how long could she stay like this?

"Wha-what are you doing here, Hoshi-san?" her voice asked, slightly cracked.

"You didn't answer me question yet," he said, ignoring her questions.

"You just surprised me, that's all. I didn't expect anyone to be here this early. Now you answer my question," she said coolly, but on the inside, she was terrified.

_What if he saw me? Saw how my body is really like? He'd tell Malik-sama!_

"Well, obviously, I'm here to cleanse myself," he said sarcastically.

He made a move to take off his cloak. Amaya automatically turned red.

"Uh-wait!" she yelled.

He stopped then looked at her with an annoyed expression. "Yes?" he sighed.

"Could you please throw my cloak to me?" she asked sheepishly. He looked at 'him' as if 'he' was stupid.

"It's right there. Just swim over here and get it yourself," he said irritably.

Amaya grunted impatiently in her mind. _Why is this guy so mean?_

"I c-can't," she said, blushing. Hoshi saw that Osaze's face was getting redder. He just assumed that it was because of the warm air.

"And why is that?" he said.

She bit harder on her bottom lip until it bled. Then an excuse came to mind...It wasn't exactly the best excuse, but maybe it'll work. _Here goes everything! _

"I-uh I'm self-conscious because I have a size problem..." she lied, her face beet red.

Hoshi's blue eyes widened with shock at what his fellow Ghoul just revealed. Okay, he definitely didn't want to get mixed with this guy. Instead of saying anything, he just quickly walked out of the double doors. Amaya sighed in relief, then grabbed her cloak before anyone else came in. She really didn't want to remember this particular moment again.

It wasn't much trouble trying to make breakfast. Although, she still needed Rishid's help. She didn't know what some of the dishes were called. She did remember one particular dish called 'koshari.' Apparently, it's Malik-sama's favorite food. Rishid said that it was imperative that she learned how to make that. He's going to have to teach her when they're both done with their chores.

"Koshari looks really good, Rishid-san," Amaya said, smiling.

It did look appetizing. The sight of the strange dish made Amaya's mouth wash yet made her stomach sick at the same time. Her stomache was making her feel queasy. For what reason, Amaya could only guess it was because she missed her home. Her stomache probably missed whatever kind of foods that she used to eat. She settled for eating some fresh apples and drinking water. It seemed to calm her stomache a little bit.

"You look paler than usual. Osaze, are you ill?" Rishid inquired.

They were in the large dining hall. Everybody was around tables, eating their breakfast and talking to each other about whatever came to mind. Rishid and Amaya were at the table far away from the other Ghouls, so they couldn't hear them talk.

"I'm fine, Rishid-san. Really, I'm just kind of tired. I had a nightmare yesterday so I slept later than I wanted to," she said, wiping away the sweat from her forehead. She just felt so hot...

_So queasy and tired. Why did I have that nightmare? I don't get what was the message of that dream. _She was about to lift the red apple to her lips, when she passed out from the lack of energy.

A/N: If you read most of my original characters romances, you would notice that I make almost all of my characters injured or sick. I don't know why the hell I keep doing that. But don't worry, this will make her closer to Malik. REALLY close.

**Review Replies**

**Lady Moofin**: Yes, yes it was a short chapter. Then again, a short chapter is better than no chapter at all. It's ironic when I sent my friend a three-page story that I wrote, she complained that it was long. But in this story, people want longer chapters. It means that you actually like my story. Thank you. When Malik finds out that Amaya is a girl is in five more chapters or maybe earlier...

**Zapper133**: Err...okay. --;;; He will find out that she's a girl, but probably not with that method. Although, thanks for the suggestion. Maybe I will use it.


	7. Sick Maliksama

A/N: Brief announcement: if you want to know when this or other of my stories are going to be updated in the future just go to my profile. Sometimes when I'm too busy, I post a brief message saying if I am and when the next chapter is going to be posted. Okay, enjoy chapter 6.

Brief info on Amaya: Before she lost her memory, she just turned 14 years old. She has straight black hair just a bit past her shoulders and pale blue eyes. She can cook fairly well and acts a bit older than her age. One of her flaws is that she doesn't speak up if someone she cares about mistreats her. She is indeed from Japan. Just for anybody who actually cares

Chapter 6: Sick Malik-sama

For the rest of that day, Amaya hid in her room, trying to fall asleep on her bed. Her nose was stuffed, her face was sweaty, and her body was shaking slightly as if it was cold in the humid Egypt air. She wrapped the thin blanket around herself, only strands of hair and her nose were visible to anybody walking by. It was nearly lunchtime. Luckily for Amaya, Hoshi and her other roommate weren't there. If they were, they'd probably snitch on Amaya.

She didn't know that before she woke up hot sands of Egypt, she was beginning to catch a cold from somebody from her real home. She was just developing a bit of a fever, after a few hours, she'd be okay. It wouldn't be the end of the cold though. After Rishid told her to rest for a few minutes, she passed Hoshi's table and accidently sneezed on him. She ran for it before Hoshi could turn around and see who sneezed on him. Amaya could sort of sense a type of dangerous vibe coming off Hoshi.

He seemed a bit familiar to him, but she couldn't remember where she had, maybe, seen him before. Although, Amaya could see that Hoshi could be scared away easily if you mentioned personal men things.

Tossing and turning, Amaya could see blurry pieces of her life flashing before her eyes. She wondered how her parents would treat her whenever she had an illness. Perhaps, they would make her a nice bowl of hot soup and give her medicine. It might seem as though she acted like a child at this point, but she was trying with all her might to remember just anything about neither of her parents. She felt so lonely after a couple of days in this Ghouls organization. She didn't feel comfortable around all these strange men. She was scared that anybody could find her true gender and then do something worse than snitching on her.

She just wanted to go back to her real home. _Just how was it like in my life before I forgot about everything? The only thing that I remember is my first name, but without my last name... Anybody could have 'Amaya' as their first name. I feel so lost._

Amaya could hear footsteps outside of the door; she abruptly stopped sniffling and wiped away at her puffy red eyes. Maybe if she pretended to be asleep, then whoever it was, would go away. She tightly shut her pale blue eyes and arranged her blanket to seem as if she was rolling around in her sleep.

Rishid slowly open the door so it wouldn't creak so loud, in case, Amaya was in a deep sleep. In one hand, he was holding a tray with a remedy for common colds; not that he used it often. It was one of those Egyptian medicines proven more effective than Western medicine. Along with the medicine, there was a plate of fresh apple slices. He looked at the bed at the center of the bed, the one belonging to Amaya. The other beds were in opposite corner, Hoshi slept in the left bed and the older man slept in the right bed. Amaya's bed directly faces the door.

As he walked closer to Amaya, he could hear her wheezy breathing. Her mouth was open so she could breathe without struggling to rely on her stuffed nose. Even though, Amaya was tired, she couldn't go to sleep at all. Her head was dizzy now and her temperature rose rapidly. She felt like she was going to die. (She has no idea how ironic it is that she felt that way.) If a little fever were going to make her feel that way, then the future would surely shock her beyond death.

"Osaze, can you sit up for a few seconds?" Rishid's voice broke through her pounding head.

Weakly, Amaya willed her body to sit up and face Rishid. She wrapped the blanket tightly around her body and shivered in the process. Her nose was pinkish and her forehead sweating more than ever. He put his palm against her forehead and felt how high her temperature was. If he had a thermometer, it would read about 97.6 Fahrenheit.

She was about to topple over when Rishid put a hand on her belly to steady her and carefully poured the awful tasting remedy down her throat. It was lukewarm so it wouldn't burn the inside of her mouth. If Amaya's nose weren't stuffed, she definitely would've tasted the foul medicine. Once the dark liquid went down her throat, her nose started to clear up. In an instant, her nose cleared up; her headache was gone, except for the occasional dizziness passing from time to time. She didn't feel as hot as she did a minute ago.

"You're going to be okay in a two or three more hours, if you rest more," Rishid said, pushing Amaya on the bed.

She didn't say anything. She just nodded, pulled the blanket over her head and closed her eyes. The medicine that Rishid gave her must have also contained something that might be in sleeping pills. Amaya drifted off to sleep before she knew it. Rishid left the tray on a nearby table so she could eat it when she wakes up later. He left the room without a backward glance.

Sneezing, coughing and shivering

If there were a clock in her room, Amaya would've seen that it was almost dinnertime. So it was about eight o'clock when she woke up, threw her mauve blanket aside and walked over to the table. She felt refreshed and stronger. She smiled when she saw that a tray with an empty bowl, which used to contain the remedy that Rishid made for her, was next to a plate of sliced apples. She was about to take one and pop it into her mouth when a loud cough caused her to jump.

She turned to look at the left corner, where Hoshi's bed was, and saw that someone was under the blankets. She couldn't see the person's face but knew that it was Hoshi. He was sniffling and emitting loud coughs. Then it was followed by a loud sneeze. Amaya bit down on her bottom lip, _I must have passed the cold onto him when I sneezed on him! Oops..._

She realized that she was the cause of his suffering right now. So she figured that she might as well be nice to him even if he was mean to her earlier. She walked out of the room quickly so she could go get some water for him. _Maybe I should go find Rishid-san too to see if he would make that special medicine stuff again. _She passed several members' rooms, many of their doors closed. She deduced that many of these males were private people or disgusting and perverted.

She overheard some of them talking lewdly about women, so she decided to stay away from those particular individuals. Secretly, she wondered if that's how Malik thought about women. Then when she realized that she was thinking about him again, she blushed and busied herself with something else.

Up ahead, she could see Rishid's room. It was on the corner on one of the many corridors. She would've gotten lost if Rishid hadn't showed her at least three times before. When she got near the golden door, she heard two people talking behind it. Out of curiousity, she pressed her ear up against it. It was the familiar voices of Rishid and Malik.

Their voices were muffled, but she was sure that it was them. She opened the door a little so she could see what was going on. Well, what she saw brought an embarrassed expression on her face. Malik was resting on Rishid's bed while Rishid put the blanket on top of him. She could see that his face was sweating like hers was.

_Geez, germs could sure be spread quickly. Even Malik-sama has a cold now. It's all because of me too! _

Malik was mumbling incoherently while his eyes were closed his grip on his Sennen item loosened and it dropped to the floor. Amaya was ashamed that it was her fault that her roommate and now her boss were sick. What was she thinking of when she sneezed on Hoshi? It seemed to Amaya that Malik wasn't of sound mind so she tiptoed into the room. She whispered a hello to Rishid so she wouldn't disturb Malik's rest.

Her head was hung slightly as if she did something wrong.

"Rishid-san, when did Malik-sama get sick?" Amaya whispered.

"About ten minutes after I forced some medicine down your throat," he said. "Don't look so down, Osaze. It was one of your roommates that made him sick," he added, looking at her face.

Amaya just nervously nodded. Somehow, she didn't feel like mentioning that Hoshi caught the cold from her. She put on a false smile to assure Rishid that she believed his words. (Even though, she knows the truth.)

"Rishid-san, could you teach me how to make that medicine that you made for me? My roommate's coughs are getting stronger," she said nervously.

"I would except that one of the ingredients that I need for the remedy is rare. It can't be bought and has to be found. I have no more of it," he said which made Amaya feel guilty.

_The last of the rare ingredient was used up for me. _she thought unhappily.

Amaya stepped aside when Rishid made for the door; he turned around and informed that he was going to warm up some water for Malik before he went out of the door. Amaya looked over at Malik's sleeping form and spotted the Sennen rod beside the bed. She picked up the heavy item and examined it. She trailed her finger along the smooth golden surface. The familiar eye design stared up at her as she touched it. _What's so special about this symbol that it's on almost everything?_

A cough came from the bed right next to her. She craned her neck over the bed and peered at Malik, she saw that he was shivering and coughing once every ten seconds. She looked pitifully at him. _I wonder if he's suffering right now like I was?_

The question was answered when Malik coughed violently than ever. His cough was even louder than Hoshi's that Amaya's eyes bugged out. He was sweating profusely and shivering all over. She guessed she was used to colds wherever she came from, but if Malik lived in warm Egypt all his life. Then he would suffer the most from a cold since he might've never been ill from a common cold.

She tried to look around the room for anything that might help him. There was a table, some chairs, vases, clay pots, baskets..._Nope, nothing. _She looked at the suffering young man on the bed. She quickly tried to form a plan in her mind for anything she could do. _If I could find something warm enough..._

She clutched onto her bare arm. A spark went off in her brain; she looked down at her arm. _My arms...They're warm. It's the ideal temperature for a human body. _She felt his forehead, which was probably as hot as an afternoon in Egypt. She withdrew her hand and muttered,"Can't believe that this is the only thing that I can think of right now..."

She slipped her shoes off as her face was burning in embarrassment. Her face was red enough to be classified as a ripe tomato. Her hands fumbled when she gently raised the blanket off of his body. She carefully slipped her body right next to his body, tucking the blanket tightly around them. Reluctantly, she cuddled up to his chest. She tried to get as close to him as possible. _Hopefully, this will bring his temperature down by tomorrow morning! Although, I have to make sure that I get out before he wakes up. _Amaya could hear his heartbeat, which relaxed her a little bit.

As much as she tried, Amaya tried to stay awake but found that she couldn't.

A/N: The idea of what happened is originally from Yuu Watase's Fushigi Yuugi: Genbu Kaiden. Okay, please review to see what happens in the next chapter!

**Josephine Jekyl**: Extremely happy that I have new reviewers. Thank you for your kind comments. I'm also glad that you liked that size problem excuse because I couldn't think of anything else. Well the answer to that question will be answered in the 10th or 11th chapter. I don't really like to reveal what happens next. I like to surprise readers.

**ANIME LOVER**: Another new reviewer! Yeah, most of my stories are sort of short. Trust me. This story is more than 10 chapters. I estimate there will be 16 or 20 more chapters. Everybody wants to know what'll happen once Malik finds out Amaya's true gender and past. Yep, he finds out about her past before she does. Let's just say that her past is very valuable information for him. - And no, she doesn't know Yami, if that's what you're thinking.


	8. A Spark of Remembrance

A/N: So I'm finally back with one new chapter for this story. I also changed my penname just by adding the name Miori, so that's all. Enjoy chapter 7.

Chapter 7: A Spark of Remembrance

Unbeknownst to the sleeping Amaya, she has been cuddling up to her sick boss, who had been hugging her since she got into his bed. Malik clutched onto Amaya like a sick child might clutch onto his or her teddy bear. Even though they were literally close to each other, Malik still wasn't aware that one of his minions was still sleeping right next to him. He just felt a certain warmth and softness that he hasn't felt in all his life.

With her eyes closed and her body relaxed, Amaya soon forgot that she was in the embrace of her ruthless boss. All her worries about wanting to find out about her past seemed to drift away to oblivion. Once again, blurry memories came rushing back into her vision. One particular memory came into view, her brow furrowed in frustration as she saw someone's silhouette coming towards her. She was on a bed, fine blue silky blankets covered her body and she was shaking underneath. She didn't want this to happen again.

"No...please...Not again," she whimpered, holding onto Malik's chest. The top of her black head was right underneath Malik's chin.

Rishid returned to the room after Amaya calmed down and sighing quietly, shifted her head over his heart. She and Malik were still sound asleep when Rishid put down the bowl of water on a table near the bed and saw them. His eyes bugged out at the sight with panic rising in his chest. _What the hell is Osaze doing with Malik-sama?! _

"Kai..."Amaya whispered, rolling over to the other side of the bed away from Malik. She would've fallen down to the floor if Malik's hold around her waist weren't so tight. There was a bit of space between them now so if Rishid tries to break them apart, he might succeed without waking up Malik-sama.

I don't know what Osaze was thinking but I have to get her out of here before he wakes up. Rishid tiptoed to Amaya's side, so he could try to release her from Malik's hold. He lifted the blanket off of Amaya's body to see that Malik's arm was around her waist so he tried to lightly pry the arm from her waist. Unfortunately as soon as one of his fingers touched Malik's arm, Malik reacted quickly and pulled Amaya closer to his body. 

Rishid silently cursed his bad luck and decided to try another approach. The simplest idea occurred in his mind so simple, he didn't know why he didn't think of it in the first place. He was simply going to wake up Amaya and tell her to get out of the bed before Malik wakes up. He proceeded with this idea but as simple as it was, it didn't seem to work. Each time Rishid poked at her, she swatted away his hand and rolled over into Malik's chest. To which, Malik would hug her tighter as if he never wanted to let go.

"Makes me wonder if both of them are truly asleep," he said to himself.

So Rishid decided to give up and come back tomorrow morning to wake Amaya up. He strolled out of the room and slowly closed the door behind him. Deep down inside, he seemed to think that they looked rather cute together like that. _If I didn't know better, I'd think they were a couple truly enjoying each other's company. _

At four o'clock in the morning, before Rishid even entered the room to wake her up. Amaya had already emerged from her restful slumber and was frantically trying to think of a way to get herself from Malik's arms. When she had woken up, his lips were close to kiss her forehead. If she had been his height, she probably would've found their lips stuck together.

She'd tried pushing him away, he still held on tighter to her. She tried to pry his arms away from her; the result was the same. She tried tickling him but thought better because what if he woke up from that? Finally as she was about to scream from frustration, Rishid came into the room and hushed her up. He put one hand on one side and the other hand on her other side and pulled away from Malik. To their relief, it worked and Malik rolled over as if nothing had happened. Amaya had even better news as she noticed that Malik stopped coughing so violently.

"I wasn't trying to get caught, Rishid-san!" Amaya exclaimed after they went outside of the room. "I was just trying to make Malik-sama feel better because his coughs were so awful. I couldn't stand how much he was suffering since it was my fault to make Hoshi-san sick in the first place."

"You still didn't have to cuddle right next to Malik-sama!" he scolded.

Don't get flustered. Just explain. Amaya thought to herself. She didn't want to admit it though as he scolded her. She wanted to cry, it was as though he thought that she really wanted to jeopardize her chance to go home. It's as if he thought that she didn't appreciate all that he's done for her. 

"I just wanted to bring down his fever to the ideal human temperature. To bring down someone's temperature to a normal rate, they have to warm that person up. The only thing in the room warm enough...was me," she said, looking away.

She didn't want Rishid to see a rouge color forming on her cheeks. Rishid sighed, thinking that she had turned away so she could cry from his sight. He put a hand to her shoulder and said that he was sorry. Amaya nodded, saying that "It was okay." She still didn't turn to face him though. She touched her forehead where Malik's lips had been and sighed to herself. The sigh caused Rishid to think that she was sighing from sadness. He could've been further from the truth.

I've got to stop thinking about him! Amaya mentally scolded to herself. 

"Osaze, have you been dreaming about something about in your past?" Rishid asked, holding something in his fist.

Amaya was surprised by the question because he never asked her anything about her past. Like if she had ever thought or dreamt about it. It caught her off-guard so she turned to look at him at last. The blush that was on her visage disappeared and it was replaced by a look of confusion.

"Hai, I have. But why would Rishid-san ask me that all of a sudden?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Yesterday, when you were still sleeping in Malik-sama's bed, I heard you whisper something that was almost like,'Kai'. Also, I forgot to give you back something that I've found on the floor. I knew that it belonged to you," he said, opening his fist to reveal a silver ring.

As soon as she set her pale blue eyes on the ring, a sudden spark of remembrance flashed across her eyes. She slowly reached out for the ring, her mouth gaping and her mind trying to grasp a memory of how she seemed to recognize the ring. Her fingers trembled as they brushed the cool and smooth surface of the ring. She could feel something engraved inside of the ring. Her finger trailed the Japanese words and it read '_Aishiteru, Amaya.' _

She didn't know why. For some reason, her eyes became misty with moist and tears started to roll down her face.

Approximately before breakfast time, Amaya went to cleanse herself in the hotspring room. Nobody was there as usual so it wasn't much of a problem for her. Nobody would be able to see her naked body and she wouldn't have to see another guy's naked body. She pushed the matter of the ring in the back of her mind. The ring was safely tucked in one of her spare cloaks in her room, under her bed so nobody could find it. She didn't want to think about it too much, although she had to admit that she was glad that she had something from her past. It comforted her a little bit yet made her sad at the same time.

After Rishid saw her cry, he didn't ask her what was the matter with her. He just assumed that she was happy for having an item from her past because she gave him a bow of thanks. As Rishid gave Malik more fluids to cure his cold, Malik's temperature lowered to the normal human temperature. Amaya was relieved when Rishid told her this which made Rishid wonder about something.

As Rishid watched over Malik, Amaya opened the door and poked her head in. She looked over at Malik's bed to see if he was still asleep. When Rishid assured her that he was, she came in with a plate of food in one hand and a jug of water in another. Rishid looked on in surprise when Amaya put the plate down to reveal a dish that neither he nor Malik would ever eat. It was beef filet.

"Osaze, are you completely unaware that you made a dish with meat?" Rishid asked, stabbing at the beef filet with his finger.

"What? Did I do some-" A look of realization dawned on her face. "OHH! Crap, I forgot that both of you don't eat meat. Gomen ne," she said. "My mind's been troubling me since-"

Rishid looked at her, waiting for her to continue her sentence. Amaya just snatched the plate and walked out of the room, telling him that she'll return with koshari.

On the way to the kitchen, Amaya bumped into someone familiar. She apologized by bowing to the person that she bumped into; the person seized her by her shoulders. It was Hoshi looking down at her with his suspicious blue eyes. He seemed to be scrutinizing her under his gaze.

"You know it's strange, but you remind me of someone back where I come from. You also speak and act like you're Japanese. It's weird how you have an Egyptian name," he said, looking at her at arm's length.

Amaya regained her composure and slapped his hands away from her shoulders. She spoke in that poorly enunciated male voice and made it sound as if she was threatening him. "It's none of your business if I do have an Egyptian name. After all, shouldn't you be in bed since you have a cold?"

"If it's none of my business that your name is Egyptian, why should it be any of your business if I'm not in bed?" Hoshi retaliated.

"Because you're going to cause more people to be sick like Malik-sama," she snapped. Even though, she knew that it was her fault for bringing the cold virus in the first place. She just didn't like this guy as much as she thought. She would prefer to be in the company of the other perverted Ghouls than him.

Instead of replying, he was about to cough, but she covered her face with her sleeve. So he coughed on the plate of beef filet at which Amaya made a disgusted face and shoved the plate towards him. "Here. This is yours now. Enjoy," she said, then walked away from him.

"You rude little...!" he threatened, pointing index his finger at her back. He was about to finish his sentence but Amaya was already out of sight. "I'm going to get you later! I didn't join this organization so I could be patronized by a little twerp. If it wasn't for Amaya, I wouldn't Ghouls at all. If only Amaya had chosen me instead of that bastard, all this wouldn't have to happen," he muttered to himself.

He reached into his cloak to take out a picture of a junior high school girl with long black hair to her shoulders and pale blue eyes. She smiled at the camera with a pretty smile, her bestfriend Miiko was by her side with an arm draped over Amaya's shoulder. With his thumb, Hoshi traced the outline of Amaya's face and kissed two of his fingers so he could place it on the picture.

A/N: Chapter 7 seems to raise a lot more questions about Amaya's past, doesn't it? For instance, who's the 'bastard' that Hoshi is referring to? What's Hoshi's motive for joining Ghouls? Why did Amaya make beef filet after she saw the silver ring? So much more questions to be answered in the next and future chapters! Please review and try not to misspell the words too much because sometimes I have trouble reading the reviews.

**Josephine Jekyl**: I'm so glad that you loved chapter 6 but the credit has to go to Yuu Watase. Most of her funny romance stories inspire me and I borrowed some of her ideas. It's nice to have people enjoy my stories though. ****

BLUE BABY: It's not only the writer's block that keeps me from updating but it's also the hectic life as a High School junior. I can't always update whenever I feel like it when I have a project due on a specific day. Thanks for reviewing. I'm not exactly worried if anyone flames me for not updating frequently because if they do, I just ignore it. I have a life and I'm not going to jeopardize my future for anybody's sake. 

**missmanga90**: I hope that you don't take this the wrong way because I appreciate that you took the time to review. But I can't understand what you wrote in one of the reviews because of some of the misspelled words. If you're from a foreign country that doesn't speak much English, then I understand. But if you know how to type proper English, then please do. Thank you for reviewing. 


	9. The Mystery of Osaze

A/N: It took a while to update this story because I had to do a really long project for school but it's finally over. Unfortunately, I still have a science project at the end of February vacation. At least it won't take that long and Asian New Year's coming! Anyway, I hope that some of my old reviewers come back...Enjoy chapter 8.

Chapter 8: The Mystery of Osaze

Hoshi put away the picture of the two bestfriends inside of his cloak pocket then examined the plate of beef filet in his hand. He blinked and scratched his head with a finger, _This entree looks all too familiar. _

**Flashback**

**He knocked at the front door of the Akimoto home, nervously standing there and waited for someone to answer the door. He ran a hand through his short blonde hair smoothing it in the process. He closed his blue eyes and muttered the words over and over again so he would have it memorized. **

**"Amaya, would you please go out with me? Amaya, would you please go out with me" he repeated under his breath.**

**A woman in her thirties came out, looking confused at the muttering high school guy, who had just realized that Amaya's mom was standing in front of him. Quickly, he straightened his posture and started to ruffle his hair while he tried to look her straight in the eyes. He found that impossible since he was trying to date this woman's daughter.**

**"G-good m-morning, Mrs. Akimoto" he stuttered. **

**"Maeno-san, do you know that it's 8 at night right now" the woman said, looking concerned for his well-being.**

**"Err...Right. Then good evening, Mrs. Akimoto. I'm sorry to disturb you since you and your family are probably having dinner, but I would like to talk to Amaya..." he said, looking at his black shoes now.**

**"Gomen ne, Maeno-san, but Amaya can't see you right now. You could talk to her during one of your tutor sessions tomorrow" she said, smiling almost with sympathy.**

**"Okaa-san (Mom), who is that" Amaya's voice asked from behind her mom. **

**Hoshi was about to yell for Amaya when Mrs. Akimoto slammed the white door in his face, leaving him feeling shocked and rejected at the same time. He walked off the porch but some voices inside of the home caught his attention. Feeling like a busybody, he ducked under all the brightly lit windows and sneaked around the house. He reached the part where the dining room might be according to his knowledge of the Akimoto house. (He had visited the home once or twice when he tutored Amaya.)**

**He could hear faint laughter and bits of lively conversation between some people. He recognized Amaya's voice every five seconds, some of her father's or her mother's voice and an unfamiliar one. Slowly, he raised his head until he could see the Akimoto family and a guest sitting around a huge dinner table. Hoshi could only see the back of the guest's head but from Amaya's smile, it looked like she was thoroughly enjoying the guest's company.**

**His heart was pounding loudly against his chest but as soon as Amaya's lips started to move, he put a hand over his mouth to stop his heavy breathing. He wanted to hear what she was saying, pressing his ear against the cool glass. Luckily, there were some potted plants on the windowsill; tall enough to hide him from view. **

**He caught the middle of a sentence just in time"-san, did you like the dinner? Dad told me that beef filet is your favorite food." Hoshi peered through the leaves of the potted plants, looking at the entree that his possible girlfriend made herself. There were sliced medium rare beef with green beans and onions surrounding and some kind of reddish brown sauce on it.**

**He didn't bother to listen to the guest's response before he looked up and saw that the guest had just put his hand on Amaya's. Mr. and Mrs. Akimoto looked on in shock as Amaya pulled her hand from under his. She had a troubled expression on her face but blushed at the same time.**

**In anger, Hoshi threw the bouquet of white roses down on the ground and repeatedly stepped on it. He muttered a curse and trudged off into the night.**

**The next day as Hoshi walked down a sidewalk, he scowled at everybody that passed his way. Amaya and her bestfriend, Miiko, who has long blonde hair and dark green eyes, was just across the street. When Miiko spotted the high school boy, she tapped Amaya, who looked up just in time to see him sulking. **

**"Maeno-san" she yelled.**

**Hoshi looked up in surprise, the look of despair disappeared when he saw Amaya and Miiko crossed the street to join him. He wasn't exactly smiling either. Amaya had a happier face than he had ever seen her before. He bet himself that he knew the reason to that was.**

**"Momochi, Akimoto" he addressed them solemnly.**

**"Is there something wrong, Maeno-san" Amaya asked. Usually, he just calls her Amaya-chan. The formal greeting caught the girl off-guard. It's as if he was angry with her for something.**

**"What's the matter, Maeno? Did another girl reject you or something" Miiko joked. **

**"As a matter of fact, a girl did reject me yesterday except it was her mother who did" he said.**

**"Whoa, are you so much of a loser that you'll even ask someone's mother out" Miiko asked.**

He twirled the plate around in his hands. It reminded him too much of that night. That was the night that he was going to ask her out and maybe after a few dates, he would've told her that he loved her. With his arm raised, he slammed the dish right onto the floor, causing a loud crashing sound. The glass plate was shattered completely and the sauce was splattered all over the floor. He stepped onto the glass shards, pretending that they were his enemy's face. The train of his cloak disappeared as he walked back into his room.

"Ouch" Amaya yelled after she slipped on the spilled sauce and slid right into the broken glass. She had lost her balance, causing her fingers to drop the koshari that she wanted to bring back to Malik and Rishid.

"Crap. What's this stuff doing down here" she asked herself, looking at the deep brown sauce, scattered green beans and onions and the sliced pieces of beef. "What the hell? This is the same thing that I gave to Hoshi"

She got up on her knees as she started to clean up the mess, whimpering quietly while of bits of glass embedded themselves into the palms of her hands. Eventually after twenty minutes or so, she finished cleaning the mess and threw the glass and ruined food in the kitchen trash. She couldn't get the glass out from her hand so she just wrapped her palms up with white bandages, wincing everytime she had to use her hands. She couldn't find any tweezers to pull the glass out nor did she want to bother Rishid for them.

"What took you so long" Rishid asked after she finally went into the room, carrying a new plate of koshari.

"Um I had to clean up a huge mess" she said, walking towards the table. She placed it down on the golden table, showing a pained expression as she did so. He was about to ask her what's wrong when she just ran out of the room, muttering a quick apology for being rude.

She ran towards the room that she shared with Hoshi and saw that he was trying to sleep. He was just looking at the ceiling when he suddenly noticed that Amaya came in with an angry expression. With an apathetic face, he faced the wall and said"What's the matter with you"

"You" She went over to his bed to where he was facing"bastard" She slapped him.

"What the hell did you do that for" he exclaimed, forgetting that he was sick. As soon as he towered over her, she gulped in fear but she was too angry to care.

"I made that beef filet that you coughed on and you don't even have the decency to eat it" she said, beating his chest in between each word.

"Look! You poor excuse of a man" he said, seizing her fists and raised them over her head. "I don't care if you made that dish; I didn't eat it because it reminded me of something that happened to me. You squeal like a little girl, do you know that" he said.

He examined her bandaged fists"Where did you do to your hands"

"Thanks to you, I slipped right into the sauce and landed on the glass" she yelled.

"Well you do deserve it" he muttered. "after treating me like that. You should really learn to respect the older and better men, twerp."

"You're only a few years older than I am" she snapped back.

"True, but a little twerp like you would never get anybody to like you" Hoshi said, chuckling at his little joke.

"I bet it's the same for you" she said, with a false innocent smile.

**That did it. **

"WHY YOU LITTLE" Hoshi yelled, slamming Amaya right into the wall behind her.

The force caused Amaya to black out; a little bit of blood trickled from her mouth. She lay limp on the wall as Hoshi was about to punch her in the stomach, a fly buzzed around his head so he dropped her on the floor to swat away the annoying bug.

"-watching me take a shower? Maeno-san wouldn't do that" she muttered under her breath.

Hoshi stopped what he was doing after he heard his name being called. He remembered when **he** told Amaya that (Hoshi) he was watching her take a shower. That wasn't true but **he** would do anything to get Amaya, too. He would have told any lie to get Hoshi out of the picture.

He seized Osaze by the shoulders to straighten her up, slapping her face so she would wake up. He wanted to ask her questions like how did he know about that lie, did he know Amaya or was he maybe Amaya's twin brother?

"Stop lying! Maeno-san is my tutor and he would never have any interest in me" she yelled.

_That's Amaya's voice...Is this Amaya? _Hoshi pulled the hood off of Amaya's head and examined her face, the hair was definitely shorter and her face was dirtier. He let his hands roam to Osaze's chest, feeling the slight bump there. _She must've been binding her breasts so no one would suspect that she's a girl. Amaya, I've been waiting so long to be this close to you..._

He closed his eyes and leaned in to her lips...

A/N: Okay, finally Hoshi finds out. He's definitely not that great of a guy and he's also a bit of a pervert. Anybody thinks he'll have his way with her or wait for her to wake up so he could ask if she's really Amaya?

I'm not going to do review replies this chapter, but I will say thank you to all the people who reviewed. Remember please don't give me the same 'plz continue' review and tell me which parts you liked, didn't like, was confused at, etc. Depending on the reviews, the next update might be sooner than you think.


	10. Pain and Blood

Chapter 9: Pain and Blood

_**"Wake up, koishii (sweetheart/dear). Wake up and play with me... Amaya, I know that it hurts you but love in general, hurts."**_

"It doesn't have to hurt..."Amaya whispered, opening her eyes.

"What doesn't have to hurt" a quiet voice asked her.

Amaya gasped and turned to the left, she saw Hoshi sitting on a wooden chair beside her bed. Out of instinct, she shrunk under the blanket and looked out through the opening. She gripped the blanket closer to her aching body. She could imagine that her spine was probably broken by the hard impact against the hard wall. She hated this guy with all her being.

"Nothing" she snapped in a deep voice.

He looked at her with an amused smile on his face, leaning forward to her face. He slowly pulled the blanket away from her. She tried to keep her whimpers to a mininum but somehow, she could tell that he was playing with her. The outcome of this game, she decided, wasn't going to be anything good. In his blue eyes, there shined something mischievous. For a moment, she thought that she'd been remembering something in the past.

She shook her head and pulled the blanket tighter around her. At that moment in time, she wished that she could be invisible. Hoshi had succeeded in loosening the blanket from her grip; she was deep in thought when he put a hand under her chin, pulling her towards him. Their lips were about to meet when Amaya suddenly screamed in pain.

"AGGGGHHHH" she screamed, gripping onto Hoshi tightly. This pain was something that she had never experienced before. It felt like something was inside of her. Something that was full of sorrow.

_What is this feeling! It feels like hell! Please make it STOP!_

It wasn't in plain view of Hoshi and Amaya, but blood was dripping down her thighs. It ran down to her knees and was absorbed by the bedsheet. She bit down her lip, digging her nails into Hoshi's chest. It was unbearable.

"Oh, god! Make it stop" Amaya pleaded.

Hoshi looked horrorstruck as he tried to loosen Amaya's grip on the front of his cloak. He didn't know what to do now. The love of his life was screaming in pain and he didn't know what was wrong. Her screams sounded as if someone was murdering her. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she pleaded with the sick Hoshi to make the pain stop. Probably half of the organization had heard the young girl scream.

Finally, she loosened her grip and fainted on the bed, Hoshi lifted the blanket from the bed. He gasped when he saw that blood was flooding from where Amaya laid. Panicking, he threw open the door and left Amaya panting heavily on the bed. She gripped onto the sides of the bed, her vision was blurred.

Fifteen minutes later, Hoshi burst into the room with Rishid following him. As soon as Rishid's eyes fell upon Amaya's weak form, his mouth widened at the blood below her.

"Rishid-sama, I know that girls aren't allowed in the organization and I don't know how Amaya got in. But please don't punish her and punish me instead" he said, on his knees begging Rishid. "She was just screaming, please help her. She was in great pain."

Without answering him, Rishid just walked past Hoshi and proceeded to the bed. With a muttered apology, he laid Amaya down in a proper position and lifted the bottom part of the cloak. He traced the source of the blood and saw something something that disturbed him.

"What's wrong with her, Rishid-sama?" Hoshi asked, fearful at the look on Rishid's face.

"I think...she just had a miscarriage..."Rishid said.

A/N: Okay, that was actually the shortest chapter of this story ever, but it was intentional. Sorry about that but at least something exciting happened. Once again thank to reviewers for reviewing and I'm not doing review replies in this chapter. Maybe next chapter. For those of you who know a lot of miscarriage, I am sorry because I've never researched on it. So I probably got it very inaccurate. The big question: whose baby was that?

Oh, yeah, if you curious on how Amaya looks like, then go to my profile and click on my homepage.


	11. A Nightmare and Osaze's Real Identity

A/N: I'm liking this story more and more because people actually want to know the mystery behind Amaya's past. It's fun putting in little clues and only having one reviewer being close to the answer.

**Warning: **Minor sexual content in this chapter but just so you know, I don't write lemon.

Chapter 10: A Nightmare and Osaze's Real Identity

**Flashback**

**"Why are you so wrapped up about that Akimoto girl? You were hired to be her tutor, not to be her boyfriend," Aki, Hoshi's friend, said.**

**"You just don't get it, Aki," Hoshi said, sipping at his milkshake.**

**"Hoshi," he said, putting an arm around his friend and continued,"You are crushing on a JUNIOR high school girl, does that ring any bells to you? You're in a high school FULL of hot girls yet you want your pupil. There's something wrong with that picture. Is it just because her dad has money?"**

**"NO!" Hoshi snapped, pushing his friend's arm away. "It's because she has a better personality, pretty and so..."**

**"out of your league? Then I agree, she's 13 and you're 17," Aki said.**

**"That's only 4 years apart," Hoshi snapped.**

**"She's young enough to be your little sister. Why don't you just let me fix you up instead? I know a grandma who's available this Saturday," Aki said jokingly.**

**Hoshi just glared at his milkshake as his face turned red in anger. Aki looked over to the entryway of the fastfood restaurant. A devilish smile overcame him and an evil joke came to his mind. He tore his green eyes away from the entryway and continued as though he wasn't distracted by something else in the first place. "And-uh isn't there someone else who's interested in her?" **

**Hoshi's grip on his milkshake tightened and shook it with a powerful anger. A humorous chuckle emitted from Aki's lips and he slapped Hoshi playfully on the back.**

**"Relax, Hoshi. I'm sure that Akimoto isn't interested in him at all. Then again, many girls, including my sister, did create a fanclub for him. If I'm not mistaken, there's currently more than a thousand club members," Aki said as a matter-of-factly.**

**"I thought that you were on my side, Aki," Hoshi said, gritting his teeth.**

**"Just stating a fact, best buddy," he said, sing-songly.**

_Even my own bestfriend was on that jerk's side, _Hoshi thought angrily _My life was perfect before he came into Amaya's life and mine. Why couldn't he just leave Amaya to me? I didn't care if he took Aki's confidence in me but Amaya was mine and mine alone. _He knocked his fist into the wall next to him.

Amaya was sleeping peacefully on her newly changed bed as Hoshi sat watching her chest heave up and down with each breath she took. She was like an angel that Hoshi never thought he could reach, the biggest reason that he joined up with Ghouls. The leader of the organization had promised that Hoshi would get all the riches he wants to get his 'girlfriend' back. He hadn't done much of anything yet but he was prepared to do anything. He would even kill just to get her back. Now he was so close to her that he could just lean in and taste her "sweet mouth" (as Hoshi would put it).

_I bet he's yearning to see her again just like I used to. Everytime I wanted to see her, she was never home or her mom used to always tell me "You could see her during one of your tutor sessions." And I could never see her during tutor sessions because he'd always take her somewhere. Amaya...why couldn't you just say 'no'?! _Hoshi grabbed one of Amaya's limp hands and stroked it with his thumb, squeezing harder and harder until it turned red. When he saw that the blood flow was stopping, he released his grip and kissed the hand. Silently, he muttered an apology for being so rough; receiving light snoring for an answer.

"So...a miscarriage, huh?" Hoshi asked, knowing that Amaya wouldn't answer. He leaned closer to her peaceful visage, stroking her sweat drenched black hair. "First he took you away from me, made you his girlfriend and got you pregnant, too?" He smiled, leaning even closer to her ear and whispered,"Let me tell you something; I'm glad that the baby died. I'm even happier knowing that I had to do with the death." Kissing her ear, making Amaya moan slightly and her previously peaceful face grimace.

"That means that you can have my baby now," he said, grinning lewdly at her. Without a moment's hesitation, he swung one leg over the side of her still body. Once he was on top of her, he put one hand on her breast and slid a hand up her revealing thigh. Hoshi kissed her lips...

**One Year Ago (Flashback)**

**"Maeno-san, I'm so sorry for not coming to your apartment these past few days. Dad said that he'll still pay you and that-" Amaya stopped her sentence. She looked around at the wrecked apartment. It looked like someone had broken in and messed everything up. Broken glass was all over the floor, there were drying food stains on the furniture, the TV set, VCR and radio was either thrown across the floor or had a large hole in it (almost like someone punched a hole into them). Worried that Hoshi was seriously hurt for the apartment was quiet, Amaya ran into his bedroom. **

_**Maybe someone attacked Maeno-san in his room, **_**Amaya thought as she opened the room door.**

**She peered cautiously inside, expecting someone to leap out and attack her. Instead, the atmosphere was serene and even foreboding. She felt like she had to run out of there before something awful happens. A sorrowed groan caught her attention causing her to swing her head in the direction of the sound. There he was; lying upon his bed, staring at the ceiling; his legs were over the bed and mussing his blonde hair up. Sensing that someone was watching him, he turned his head sideways; surprise shown on his face that Amaya was there.**

**"Amaya...?" he said, shockingly as he sat up cross-legged on his messy bed.**

**"Hai, Maeno-san. It's me, Amaya," Amaya said, slowly. She stepped inside the room, leaving the door wide open. Hoshi just sat there, watching her then the door. **_**She left the door open...**_

**"What's going on? Why is your living room so messy?" she asked fearfully.**

**"Maybe it's because of YOU," he said quietly. **

**"What are you talking about?" **

**"So Amaya-chan, how were your rendezvous with your boyfriend? Were they fun?" he asked calmly. **

**Amaya looked strangely at her tutor, who was acting so weird. He was usually so cheerful and always smiling whenever she visited him. She was confused as to why he would ask her questions about her and that certain someone. How did he even know about the meetings? She had never told him...**

**"I think I should just come back tomorrow, Maeno-san, so you could rest and get better," she said, about to make it out of the door. **

**"DON'T GO," he said calmly but angrily.**

**The cold tone in his voice caused a chill to travel up her spine. She froze out of fear; for some reason, she was too scared to try to escape now. Even though, she was right next to the door, she could've escaped. **

_**Just calm down. He won't do anything to you. You've known him for a year and a half, after all. You know that he's perfectly harmless,**_** Amaya mistakenly thought. She never knew that he had fond feelings for her. **

**"Have you noticed, Amaya, that I always call you by your first name?" he asked, getting off his bed and slowly walked towards her. **

**Amaya nodded, not sure where this question was leading.**

**"Have you also noticed that you've always called me Maeno-san instead of Maeno-kun or just Hoshi-kun? I mean, I thought we were **_**close**_**, Amaya-chan," he said. He was close to her now, his arms on either side of the wall beside her, trapping her. **

**"We're good friends," she said faintly, nodding. "I have to go now, Hoshi-kun. Please let me go." She tried to push one of his arms away so she could escape. **

**"YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE! I LOVE YOU, AMAYA!" he yelled, slamming the bedroom door.**

**"Please let me go!" she screamed as she tried to defend herself with her fists. Unfortunately, he ignored her blows and proceeded to press her against the wall. She was coughing due to the lost of air, his weight was crushing her body. Her vision was blurry as her oxygen was rapidly being cut off. She could feel Hoshi's wet lips against her neck, his hands touching her inappropriately. Tears escaped from her eyes, she wanted this all to stop. **

**"NO! LET ME GO!" she cried out but her pleas fell on deaf ears. **

Amaya tossed and turned, sweat pouring down her pained face. She grabbed onto the bedpost, crying out into the night. She felt like she was still in the arms of the jealous tutor, she had thought of **him**. She remembered everything that happened that day. Hoshi tried to rape her but he failed when she was half-fainted, he laid her on the bed. Before he could do anything, she felt him being pulled off her. Later, she remembered someone held her and asked her repeatedly if she was okay. She couldn't see his face but she could see Hoshi's face clearly. That's why she remembered him; he had tried to rape her.

**After the nightmare**

"Rishid-san, where's Hoshi-san right now?" Amaya asked. She had remembered that nightmare all too clearly. Now that she remembered his face; she wanted to stay away from him as much as possible. _Maybe it was too silly to think about but what if somehow he had found out? Hoshi-san tried to rape me in the past. What if he finds out and tries to rape me again?_

Rishid just shoved some food into her mouth and answered without looking at her," Hoshi got sent out to Battle City. He won't come back for a while..."

Amaya sighed in relief, holding onto the blanket as if she was an insecure little toddler. She raised her hands so Rishid could replace her healing hands with new bandages. She hardly paid any attention as Rishid pulled bits of glass from her skin. She was still thinking about the nightmare. It was no wonder that she never liked Hoshi besides from the fact that he was rude. _I remember someone saved me from him, but who was my savior?_

"Is Malik-sama over the fever, Rishid-san?" Amaya asked.

"Hai, master is feeling much better now. I think your body temperature really did do the trick," he said.

Normally, that particular statement might make Amaya blush but this time, she burst into tears. She's trying to do her best to tell herself that it was in the past. However, she couldn't help to think about it. _If he really did love me, he wouldn't have forced me to do something I didn't want to do. _

"Osaze, do you remember anything that happened today after you went out of my room?" Rishid suddenly asked.

Amaya blinked. Another one of his strange questions. She racked her brain for what happened earlier this night besides having that nightmare but she didn't want to tell him about that nightmare. She didn't want to tell anyone about that. She just wanted to bury it deep into her mind and forget about it altogether.

She shook her head, hanging her head down so he wouldn't see her cry. Tears dropped on the pillow, sniffling sounds could be heard from the distraught girl. Out of concern and pity, Rishid handed her a white handkerchief. Amaya took it, said a thankyou at which Rishid nodded, and wiped at her tears.

_So she doesn't remember the miscarriage...If that's the case, then why is she crying? That lewd boy tried to rape her in her sleep but I took care of that. _

"Can you guarantee that Hoshi-san won't come back anymore?" Amaya asked, looking at Rishid with her teary eyes.

"I can provide a hundred percent guarantee that you'll never see him again," Rishid said with a slight smile.

As painful as it was, Amaya tried to smile back but the nightmare was too much for her to handle. Maybe she felt comforted by his words because she hugged him right then and there.

The next morning when Amaya was at the Nile River to wash the laundry, Rishid was in his room, listening to the radio for any significant news about Battle City. So far it was all just junk about the beautiful weather in Japan and all the latest game gadgets. He turned to another station that provided even more news about Japan and stopped when he heard a female voice said a familiar name:

"-Amaya Akimoto has been missing since the start of Battle City. Her boyfriend is offering a ten million-yen award for anyone who has information of her whereabouts. So far there's only been false information from people in need of money..." Rishid turned off the radio. _If Malik-sama knew of this, he wouldn't be angry with her for disguising herself as a man. _

**"Amaya?"she whispered.**

"No, you need a male name. I know the name that suits you." 

"Osaze's real name is Amaya and an Amaya Akimoto is missing from Japan. Osaze speaks perfect Japanese and even has the accent. Osaze **IS** Amaya Akimoto," Rishid said to himself. **  
**

A/N: Finally! Hoshi is out of the picture and I really don't want to reveal the mysterious guy that Hoshi keeps talking about. Perhaps, you could guess from all the clues? What's Rishid talking about that Malik wouldn't be mad if he finds out about Amaya's true gender? What's Rishid's plan? Is Hoshi really at Battle City and who saved Amaya the first time Hoshi tried to rape her?

**Finally! Review Replies**

**MiserysSin**: A new reviewer with a cool penname. Well, those 'quizzes' really were questions so the readers could try to solve my little mystery in the story. So far only one person got the answer right but it's only half of the answer.

**Josephine Jekyl**: Yup, my lil Amaya was pregnant. If you could recall in the chapter called "Sick Malik-sama" in paragraph 7, it said "She felt like she was going to die. (She has no idea how ironic it is that she felt that way.) If a little fever were going to make her feel that way, then the future would surely shock her beyond death." That was foreshadowing the death of Amaya's baby. Originally, Hoshi wasn't the one that made her have a miscarriage but I changed it. Answers to the questions regarding Malik, well I won't say that I don't like revealing things straightforward so I'll just say that Amaya's an important asset to Malik's plan. Btw, I'm sorry for your mom's miscarriage and I hope she's all right.

**Rose-Dragonfire**: I'm glad you said that because I want my stories to be strange and unpredictable. Thanks for reviewing.

**Darkside Girl**: Hey new reviewer. Thanks for your kind review and I'm glad that you found each chapter entertaining. Honestly, there were some chapters that I thought were kind of stupid but as long as you enjoyed them.

**missmanga90**: Yeah, stuff like fourteen year-old girls always have miscarriages is sad. Thanks for reviewing.


	12. Sorrow

A/N: Okay, I'm just going to give it to you all straight out. I'm under a lot of stress right now so I might not be able to update for a while. I'm depressed so please no offensive review. Then again, I appreciate the reviewers for not saying disrespectful stuff so far.

Chapter 11: Sorrow

"What? But I'm just ordinary Amaya! I mean, Osaze. How am I supposed to help Malik-sama?" Amaya asked. She was shocked that Rishid would even suggest that Amaya go with them to Battle City. She didn't even know to play Duel Monsters. She had only seen some of the Ghouls challenge each other. Once in a while, she sneaked a peek at some of the rare Duel Monsters cards that Ghouls had stolen before.

"Osaze-that is, I meant to say, Amaya," he said, looking away from her confused gaze. She was about to ask him why he just called her by that name. "I remembered when you said that name. Remember? When I mentioned that you needed a male name so you could fit in with the others?" Amaya nodded though she knew that he couldn't see her do so.

"Rishid-san, what?" He cut her off with a raised hand to silence her, she quieted down immediately. All she did was look confusedly at him while he took out a bundled up blanket. Dried blood could be seen from some of the folds. She was almost afraid to see what was in there. Her breath was caught in her chest.

_Why am I so afraid right now? I don't even know what's in there. But do I really want to see what's in there? _

"Amaya...Do you feel strong right now?" he asked. His back was still on the frightened girl. A fit of shivers broke out all over her body. She wanted to lie down somewhere and rest her heavy eyelids. For some reason, her body felt so weak. Tears ran down her cheeks. She touched her tears with trembling fingers, _Why am I crying for no reason?_

"I don't know if I should show you this or not, but you should know. After all, it does belong to you," he said, solemnly.

"Rishid-san, you sound like someone you know died...I'm also crying for no reason. I don't get it," Amaya said.

"Before I show you, I have to tell you that it's extremely all right to cry about it. You can cry as much as you want but you have to be strong afterwards. If you want to help Malik-sama, you mustn't show weakness, do you understand?" he asked softly.

"Then please don't show me!" Amaya snapped. She looked down at the floor, trying to catch her breath. She could hardly breathe because of her rapidly pounding heart.

"I have to show you! It might be painful at the moment but in the future, it's only going to make you stronger!" Rishid yelled. In his mind, he kept saying that he shouldn't show her the baby's body. However, what if he was the mother? Wouldn't he want to know about his deceased baby? The world's a cruel place but you can't keep hiding under a blanket forever. He knew someone who had to learn that the hard way.

"No! You're scaring me!" Amaya cried shrilly. She was about to run out of the room but Rishid grabbed her arm. He handed her the bundle and pushed her on a chair.

After the attempted rape nightmare, she had another horrible one. She was sitting on a large bed with satin blue sheets, humming a soft melody when she heard a baby cry. She went to investigate the source of the noise since she knew that there was no baby in the entire house. She thought that it might've been coming from outside of the window. Perhaps it was an upset baby, who needed his/her diaper changed. She went to check just in case.

"Don't go," a deep voice said. The owner of the voice hugged her from behind.

"There's a baby crying. I know that it sounds weird but I think it's in the house somewhere. I'll be back soon," she said. He didn't say anything. Amaya could feel his arms unwrap from her waist. She opened the door and proceeded to walk down the dark and long hallway. When she reached a certain door, she turned the doorknob and entered. She saw Hoshi and herself, she was screaming in pain. Blood leaked onto the bed and herself clutching onto Hoshi screaming and pleading with him to help her end the pain.

_Was that dream a premonition? _She thought as her fingers slowly fumbled with the bundle. She could feel something with flesh inside the blanket. It wasn't moving, breathing nor did it have a pulse. She knew what was in there. An estranged cry came from her tight throat and hugged the bundle closer to her chest. One of the folds of the blanket loosened to reveal the top of the baby's baldhead.

"It died...I can't believe that it died...Rishid-san!" she called his name. Her voice was full of pain. She needed to hold onto someone, just something. Is this reality? Was she having another nightmare? She wished she was, then she could wake up and tell someone about it. That would've made her feel better. She knew that if she tried to pinch herself, she would feel minor pain. She wasn't dreaming like she hoped she was.

For the next seven hours, she cried and lied in bed with her limp baby. She didn't want to let go of it. She ignored Rishid when he mentioned burying it before putting his plan in action. She just stroked the baby's head, softly humming to herself and closed her eyes. Out of respect, Rishid left her alone and let her cry on his shoulder.

"Amaya...Amaya," he called her softly, gently shaking her limp shoulder.

Slowly, she turned her head to face him. "Hmm?" was all she said. Her hold on the baby had loosened and she made no indication of noticing. When Rishid looked at her face, he thought that she looked so pitiful in a sad way. Her eyes were pink and puffy, so full of sorrow. Some tears were stuck to her eyelashes, her nose was red and her lips were trembling.

"I'm sorry to show you but I thought that it was the right thing to do. Do you think that you're ready now?" he said. He didn't want to be so demanding but he had to do this for her sake. Her wish was to return home and now that he knew at least one thing about her...That one thing would also help his master with his goal.

Amaya turned to look at her baby again, whispering,"Good-bye, baby. Mommy has to go do something." She kissed its nose before covering the body with the blanket. She handed the body to Rishid with reluctance.

"I just realized, I never even got to name her," she choked.

"You can name her right now before she receives a burial," Rishid said, unwrapping the blanket to reveal the peaceful looking baby.

"I don't know wha-what I should name her. I probably would've loved her so much," she said.

"Ai, that's a suitable name. Since you love her so much," Rishid said, smiling at her.

"Yes, that is a very good name. Sayonara, Ai-chan," Amaya said, tearfully.

Rishid offered Amaya the bundle so she could hold Ai one more time but she shook her head. She waved her hand toward the door, signaling him to bury her. She didn't want to get herself attached anymore. As Rishid walked out of the door, Amaya threw herself on his bed and sobbed into the pillow. His previous words ran through her head, telling her that she had to be strong. Maybe she could go back home, tell her family about the baby or possibly find the father of the baby. They would come back in Egypt so they could pay their respects to Ai. _This world is so unfair but I have to go on. I can't bring Ai to life so there's really no use crying. I guess I'll have to learn to 'duel' as they put it and be of some use to Malik-sama. I haven't done anything but cook and do the laundry. I have to stop crying now._

As a defiant gesture, she pushed herself off the bed and wiped at her eyes with her sleeves. "Okay, I can do this. Have to be strong," she said to herself in a strong voice. She breathed in and out slowly so as to calm herself down. Her stomach growled as Rishid came back in. He didn't mention anything about the burial. Amaya didn't ask. She knew that he didn't want to see her cry again. In order to change the depressing atmosphere, she asked about his plan.

"You don't need to ask any questions. You just need to promise that you'll do anything that Malik-sama asks and that you won't upset him," he said.

"Hai, Rishid-san," Amaya said, bowing.

He noticed she was tilting slightly like her body was weak. "Amaya, do you need to eat something right now? You look like you haven't been eating in days."

"No, I'm fine. Really," she said.

"I understand you might not want to eat after seeing..." Amaya's deep gasp indicated that she was suppressing

more tears and the urge to sob.

"I'm sorry...I guess it's because I'm a girl. They cry after seeing something like that especially..." she said quietly.

"No, don't apologize. I would cry, too," Rishid said. "If you would like to, you can rest for a few hours before-"

"No, thank you. I'd rather do whatever I can for Malik-sama. I would like to make you happy by making Malik-sama happy because you've done so much for me," she said, still bowing. Everything was quiet; all that could be heard was one final tear drop on the floor. One final tear she would have to shed in this room. She would be boarding on a yacht with Rishid and her master to Battle City.

"Very well. You've made your choice."

"And I'm sticking to it," she finished.

Rishid apologized with his head bowed because his plan involved using her. However, it was for the good of her and Malik. She said that it was all right because she thought the apology was for showing her Ai. Her hung head made Rishid guiltier though he knew he had to do it. He kept repeating to himself _It's for their own good. Amaya would be able to go home and Malik-sama would be able to attain one of the Egyptian God Cards. _

It was almost nighttime. The time when Malik decided to go to Battle City along with some selected Ghouls, Amaya followed Rishid to Malik's main chamber. Amaya looked down at the floor with crestfallen eyes. She wanted to follow Rishid's instructions of not upsetting Malik. It was hard to follow Rishid and looking at the floor at the same time. She bumped into Rishid's back when he stopped in front of the main chamber door.

"Remember, bow after you enter and eyes on the floor unless he instructs you to look at him," Rishid whispered. Amaya just breathed,"Okay."

"Enter," Malik's voice came from within the door. The loud creaking of the door meant that Rishid had opened it. Amaya followed as he entered the room and closed the door behind him. She bowed before Malik while her heart was beating in fear. When she raised her eyes a little bit, she could only see that same rod that he always holds and the lower part of the cloak that everybody had to wear. Rishid started to talk while Amaya stared at the floor, listening intently for any mention of the plan.

"Seto Kaiba?" Malik said questionably. _Seto Kaiba? _Amaya thought.

"Hai, Malik-sama. I have found his girlfriend," Rishid said, turning to Amaya.

"Rishid-san!" Amaya gasped as he used a knife to cut the top part of the cloak's fabric. "Gomen nasai," he whispered as he revealed her bounded up chest. Amaya blushed deeply out of embarrassment, looking miserably at the floor. She didn't want to see how Malik was looking at her. She was half-naked at the top but had a white cloth binding her chest. Goosebumps erupted from her skin when Malik unexpectedly lifted her chin so she could meet his eyes. Amaya trembled, maybe because of the sudden cold air or maybe it was because of him. Lack of food finally caught up with her and Malik caught her before she could fall to the ground.

A/N: The more exciting parts are in the next chapter. This story is going to be over in ten more chapters! Thanks to all the reviewers who inspire me to write more of this story.


	13. Building Up

A/N: Hello, I'm back to upload the new chapter. Yes, I'm done being depressed about stuff in my life. I was going to update earlier but I thought I should give myself some time off. So I downloaded a series called Tokyo Juliet and after the third chapter, I thought it was one of the most stupid shoujo manga that I've ever read. But ­Melancholic Princess is a good series by You Su Lan and the art is sophisticated so check it out when you have time.

Chapter 12: Building Up

After one week of being on the yacht, Amaya was still nervous whenever she was around Malik. Since Amaya was an important asset in his plan, Malik didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable but he was also getting impatient. Whenever she was commanded to look up at him, she looked nervously at the ground. She tried to speak clearly around him but what came out was a choked voice or a whimpering. Tears followed after, much to Malik's surprise. He didn't know anything about her except that she's supposedly Seto Kaiba's girlfriend and that she's a very shy person. He also thinks that she's deathly afraid of him.

"You should at least look up at him whenever he orders it, Amaya," Rishid said out of exasperation.

Amaya didn't answer and looked out of one of the windows at the bright sky. It would be a few days before the yacht would reach Domino City. Rishid figured that would be enough time for Amaya and Malik to bond. Maybe if they acted friendly towards each other, she would be at least a little comfortable around Malik. When they would get to Battle City, Amaya needed to pretend to be 'Namu's' girlfriend. Only Amaya didn't know of the plan.

Amaya pressed a hand against the cool window glass, blowing her breath on it and wrote out the Japanese letters: Aishiteru, Amaya. The inscription on the inside of her silver ring. She held the silver ring up to the sun and traced the lovely inscription with a finger. She kept trying to remember who gave it to her. _Whoever gave this to me must've loved me a lot. I wonder if it's someone named Seto Kaiba? Rishid-san said that name to Malik-sama and he wanted me to go with him to Domino City. Why? Rishid-san won't answer my questions. Sometimes out of the corner of my eyes, I catch him looking my way as if he has a guilty conscience. _

Rishid looked at the message on the window she just wrote_, Amaya looks preoccupied. She looks more pale and skinnier every day. Sometimes I wonder if she's been throwing up her meals whenever I'm not looking. The miscarriage must still be eating her alive. Yet she still hasn't mention it nor has she said the baby's name. _

Amaya felt the rocking of the yacht as it drifted atop the water's surface, the memory of when Rishid left Malik and her alone resurfaced in her mind.

**Amaya woke up in Malik's bed, where he placed her after she fainted. Malik was sitting on a chair beside the bed with an irritated look on his face. She shrank under his gaze. She looked around the room to discover that they were all alone. Remembering Rishid's words, she bowed her head and remained that way until he told her to look at him. **

"**H-hai, Malik-sama," she stuttered, looking up. **

**Her vision faltered when she turned to him, she could see about four of him looking annoyed. She tried to get out of the bed but she tilted forward, falling into him. He had to hold onto her shoulders as she snuggled up to hum. She didn't even realize what she was doing as she muttered, "Hold me, Seto." A serene smile touched her lips as she wrapped her weak arms around him. **

_I can't believe I did that! That was so stupid! I mistaken him for another person and cuddled up to him! If Rishid-san finds out..._

"Here," Rishid said, handing Amaya a bowl of rice. "I don't know how you're feeling but I bet that your stomach misses eating Japanese food."

Amaya took the bowl, slowly smiled and said, "Yeah, I think so, too. To tell the truth, I'd been throwing up the past couple of days. Egyptian food is good but I'm not used to it. Only the fruit and vegetables are good to me but that's not filling. Thank you."

She smiled as she ate bits of the steamed rice with a pair of chopsticks; the simple smell of rice made her a little bit happy. The heavy sorrow of having her first child die, the feeling of homesickness and the feeling of uselessness made Amaya feel empty and sad.

"Here's something for dessert," Rishid said, showing her a packet of strawberry covered Pocky. Immediately, Amaya's blue eyes lit up with excitement. These were her favorite snack back in Japan! She snatched the packet childishly from Rishid's hand and started to munch on the cracker sticks. She left her unfinished bowl of rice on the table; Rishid smiled lightly at her childish behavior. She was almost finished with the first packet of Pocky when Malik came into the room. He beckoned to Rishid, telling him to leave him and Amaya alone. Rishid complied despite Amaya's plead for him to stay.

Amaya sweatdropped as the door closed behind Rishid. Malik walked over to her and sat on the sofa, beside her. There was only ten inches of distance between them. Amaya fidgeted before getting on the floor to bow to him. She was stopped by his order of making herself comfortable. Of course, Amaya was still embarrassed from what happened earlier. Her face was automatically turning red so she looked down at the seat. She didn't want him to see her face.

"Your name is Amaya, yes?" he questioned. "H-hai," she mumbled. There were a couple minutes of silence before Amaya cleared her throat and spoke up in a clear voice, "Malik-sama, if you don't mind me asking..." She halted her sentence to give him a chance to answer.

"Continue," was all he said as he scrutinized her.

Amaya scratched her nail lightly into the sofa's fabric as she gathered up courage to ask him, "Why me? Why do you want me with you on this trip to Battle City? What am I supposed to do there? I don't even know how to play Duel Monsters! I know of what you want to do; you want to become a ruler by defeating another ruler but I don't understand why I'm involved in this."

"You're Seto Kaiba's girlfriend and you don't even know how to play Duel Monsters? I don't believe it," Malik said, wrapping his fingers around her hair and gently pulled her towards him.

"Uh..." Amaya was frozen on the spot while Malik's arms encircled her waist. She couldn't comprehend what was going on. She could only figure out that he was trying to hit on her! But for what purpose? She was no one special, or so she thought. She still had no idea how famous Seto Kaiba was. Malik's lips were close to hers now but as he came closer, a hiccup sounded. Amaya was so embarrassed that she pushed him and turned away. The hiccups continued as she neared towards the door.

"Oops...I think I need a drink of water," she said, giggling nervously.

In Domino City

"So much people in the city, having a good time oblivious to the fact that there's missing people out there," Miiko said, sighing. The blonde haired and green-eyed fourteen-year-old girl walked down the street to meet up with another person, who might have information on where Amaya might be. So far all the people that she's met, gave her false information so they could get the ten million-yen. They never even bothered to look at Amaya's picture before calling. Some people even said Amaya was in a circus, posing as the bearded lady. Miiko hoped that this time she would be able to meet up with a real source. _Wasn't anyone decent enough to tell the truth anymore? It's unexpected that both Amaya and Hoshi are gone. I don't know why either of them had gone. I know what that bastard is capable of though. I remembered when Amaya told me that he almost raped her. Wherever you are, please be okay, Amaya-chan. _

Back to the Yacht

It was the fourth day of the week already. In the past days, Amaya had been avoiding Rishid and Malik by pretending to have seasickness and locked herself in the bathroom. She'd stay in there until it was a mealtime and Malik was staring off into the beautiful scenery. He would be at the bow of the yacht while Amaya sneaked her food into her own room and ate in peace. Sometimes at lunch, when she thought that he didn't know that she was there, she'd hide and spy at the back of his head, wondering what he's thinking about.

Her mind pressured her to look at the sunset beside him but she never caved in. She would settle being hidden behind something. She could overhear him talking angrily to himself sometimes. He's always muttering about "the Pharaoh" and "taking over his reign." The wind blew black hair back and she shivered slightly because of the thin fabric of her cloak. Since Malik couldn't provide with any female clothing, she had to settle with wearing the old thing until she got to Battle City.

Right now, Amaya was doing the same thing she always did. Hiding and spying on him, she felt like he could be a friendly person yet at the same time, she seemed to be afraid of him. Once when Rishid caught her coming out of the bathroom, he scolded her by saying that "You wouldn't be afraid of him if you knew the real him." Then he stalked away with an angry look on his face. _Once again, I have to say I'm sorry, Rishid-san. I'll listen to what you say and try to get closer to him. _Amaya breathed in deeply and was about to approach Malik when she felt something poking at her side.

She looked down to see that it was a seagull trying to get Pocky from the inside of cloak pockets. Of course, Amaya wasn't about to give up her favorite snack so she just gently kicked the determined bird away. However, it wasn't about to let go of its free meal. She didn't want to hurt the bird but it jabbed painfully at her side, not letting her go until it gets its lunch.

"Get away, you dumb bird!" she shooed.

It screeched, causing Malik to turn her way but he couldn't see her since she was hiding. He could just see a seagull pulling at something. "BAKA BIRD! GET AWAY!" she yelled, pulling it by its end and jumping up and down on the deck. She was almost to the edge of the yacht when the bird flew up and poked at her nose instead. She tried to hold on to the railing and reaching into her pocket at the same time. Unfortunately, the jabbing was enough to cause her to lose her balance. After a loud 'SPLASH!', the bird flew away, calling into the distance as if it was laughing at her misfortune. The loud splash alarmed Malik so he looked to the other side of the yacht, spotted Amaya and jumped it.

Amaya was already swimming back to the boat, so it surprised her when she saw him swimming towards her. She stopped swimming and stared in wonderment, _He actually came to save me? Imagine how angry he'll be if he found out that I already know how to swim... _So she just stayed there and pretended to have trouble swimming by bobbing up and down while calling for help. She didn't have trouble pretending to drown; somebody was already helping her. She looked down at who or whatever it was, trying to pull her down.

To her horror, it was Hoshi's face, staring up at her and he had an expression of rage on his face. He looked like he had been at sea for days without anything to eat yet he was still so strong. _Oh my god! I must be in a nightmare again! It feels so real though. I could still feel the coolness of the ocean and his strong grip on my leg. He looks so horrible right now like somebody back from the grave! _

"Can't...breathe!" Amaya cried when his hands were encircling her neck. She could hear him yelling, partly drowned out by the loud waves, "If you're can't be mine, then nobody else can have you!" She was losing all feeling in her arms, due to the cool ocean water, she had trouble trying to loosen his hold around her neck. "LET GO, HOSHI-KUN!" she cried in desperation.

She coughed; he had loosened his hold once he had heard her say that. She was trying to sputter out water as Hoshi held her gingerly in his arms. He was shaking from the excitement or from the cold wind; it wasn't clear. It was clear that he was happy; he was smiling hysterically and laughing out at the same time. "You finally said my first name! I'm so happy! That means that you do love me, Amaya-chan! No one can ever separate us so let's be together forever...in death." He said the last sentence with a seriousness in his voice.

"WHAT!" Amaya exclaimed. She kicked him to the side of her numb leg; he cried out in pain. Still he swam after her with a determined and maniacal smile plastered on his face, tauntingly called her name. She tried to swim as fast as she could but with her numb legs...She closed her eyes and screamed, not seeing who, she had just bumped into. She didn't have to see to know that it was Malik. "Malik-sama, please I'll do anything! Save me from Hoshi-san! He wants to kill me!"

He wasn't as hysterical as she was, in fact, he was rather calm. "You're soaked from top to bottom, Amaya," he said, letting her grip onto his cloak. She thought that it was strange that he would say that after her plea. She couldn't question him now, she had to get away from Hoshi! _He's already in my nightmares! I don't want to see him in person! _

His calm demeanor continued, "Do you promise to do everything I say if I saved you?"

"Yes! Yes, whatever you say! Please stop him!" she cried, squeezing onto him for dear life.

"Very well," he said and took out that same strange looking staff that he always wields. Amaya could see Hoshi swimming towards them now, she closed her eyes and waited...She waited for either Hoshi to catch them both or for Malik to do something to stop Hoshi. She was confused as to why he was so calm at a situation like this.

"There you are, Amaya," she could hear Hoshi say.

"Oh my GOD!" she screamed, burying her face into Malik's chest. She could feel Malik raise his arm with the Sennen item and hear Hoshi's voice. It stopped within a matter of seconds. In surprise, she looked at where Hoshi had been. _Where is he? The dead-like Hoshi, what did Malik-sama do with him? _

"Where did he go?" she asked, looking confusedly at Malik.

"He drowned," Malik said casually.

"What! That's impossible! He was swimming just fine!" she exclaimed.

"What do you care? As long as he's gone, aren't you happy about that?" he said, smiling deviously at her.

"Ah, yes I am, but that's so weird," she said, looking back at empty space. "What I meant to say is; thank you, Malik-sama."

"You don't need to thank me. All I want is for you to obey me, Amaya, dear," he said, laughing.

_Huh? 'Amaya, dear?' What exactly do I need to do for him? _

A/N: Well, wasn't that interesting? Hoshi came back and is killed in this chapter. Anyway, thankyou for all the people who were so concerned about my mental well-being. I'm going to try a new approach in review replies by letting Amaya talking to the reviewers. I'm only doing this for character development on Amaya's part.

**Review Replies**

**Cataracta**: Maeno-san was a desperate and perverted idiot! I can't believe that I had to endure the attempted rape just because Ykk was bored and wanted to write angst! Thank you for feeling sorry about the baby. Ykk will keep up the good work; but that will mean I'm going to suffer more...Thank you for your review.

**Josephine Jeky**l: Aww, you shouldn't be sad because Ykk is back in action! She's out of her writing hiatus because she's anxious to plot my demise. She's really quite evil. You're lucky you're not one of her characters. About the baby part, it was a sad scene but I did feel a bit happy that Rishid-san told and showed me. It would have been better that way since it would be even more sad if I found out from someone else. Thank you for supporting the story from the author herself.

**Rose-Dragonfire**: Thank you for trying to save me but if you knew Ykk, you would know that she's not going to be that merciful. Who knows what kind of future I'm going to have at the end of this story. I'm touched that you almost cried about Ai; it's nice to have someone who cares.

**Diana29**: Thanks for loving this story and Ykk isn't so stressed anymore. She's going to update more in the near future. Give or take a few busy days; that's what she says anyway.

**missmanga90**: Ykk thanks you for saying that she's a good writer. She's just a bit depressed but she'll be able to update when she feels like it.

**Darkside Girl**: Thankyou for reviewing! I think that most of the readers couldn't believe that he showed me the baby either. Although, if you think about it, it's supposedly a good way for my character development. Something about growing more mature because of terrible experiences.

**olifantje-emma********Solitudity********rose-whip123********MiserysSin********CRAZYABOUTANIME**: Thank you for loving this story and thinking it's special.

Ykk is short for Yukiko, my penname is actually YukikoGirl, but AOL shortened the sn. If you wish to address me, just use Ykk or Kiko. Please don't call me YkkGrl because it seems weird. The review replies were interesting, no? Or was it just weird?


	14. To Battle City

A/N: There's two pieces of news before continuing on; 1) there's going to be a sequel to this story and 2) I updated the fic status thing on my profile so whenever you're confused on how many more chapters for this story then check there.

Chapter 13: Off to Battle City

_I feel sort of lonely. Rishid-san is a kind and caring person but he's not my age neither is he a girl. I'm still uncomfortable around Malik-sama especially when he tries to practice kiss with me. How am I supposed to kiss him when I already have a boyfriend? Then again, that is the whole plan; to make my boyfriend jealous so he would give up whatever valuable thing that he has to Malik-sama. That's probably why Rishid-san looked so guilty around me because he knew of the plan to use me. My boyfriend, Seto Kaiba, I don't remember anything about him. The only thing that's closest to him is this ring. _Amaya let silver ring catch one of the sun's rays. _I don't care if Malik-sama does use me; as long as I get to go my boyfriend and then he'll tell me everything about myself. _

She put her right hand over her heart, closed her eyes and started to think more about the future. For some reason, as soon as her thoughts drifted to Malik, her heart raced faster than usual. Lately, she had been closer to him so they could practice to look like a 'real couple.' The toughest parts of the practice were having to kiss. Whenever he would lean into her face, she would back away or turn away so that he would end up kissing the side of her face. She found out from Rishid that she would be Malik's first kiss if she'd let him. Surprisingly, Malik didn't yell or try to force her to kiss him. He didn't bring up the fact that she did promise him to do whatever he says. He would just walk away and give a slight wave in the air; meaning that it was all right.

_Maybe because it's his first kiss, he doesn't mind that I wouldn't comply. Although, I wonder how long it'll be before he becomes impatient. _

At Akimoto Residence

"I can't stand it anymore! My only daughter is missing out somewhere and nobody has any real news of her whereabouts! I miss seeing the smile on my little girl's face!" Mrs. Akimoto, Amaya's mother, cried. She was clutching the photo album full of Amaya's baby pictures. Her tears landed on the plastic covering of each photo album. Mr. Akimoto, in an attempt, to calm his wife down put his hand on her shoulder.

"Calm down, dear. I'm sure that surely _somebody _would be kind enough to share Amaya's whereabouts with us," he said, soothingly. He smiled a reassuring smile but on the inside, he was just as worried as his wife was. He wondered how she was doing and if she was well-fed and well taken care of. _If only my boss hadn't taken an interest in her, then none of this would've happen. Amaya would be coming home at this time instead of being lost somewhere. _He looked away so his wife couldn't catch him crying.

_Amaya, Daddy's sorry for all this. I hope you are okay. Your mom, everybody else and I are worried about you. We didn't even get to celebrate your 14th birthday. _

Almost to Battle City

Another week has passed; Malik was in a bad mood after the Pharaoh defeated one of his Ghouls, the Silent One. He stopped the practicing sessions with Amaya, to her relief. Although, she was still worried about him since he wouldn't come out of his room, not even for any mealtime. Sometimes Rishid sent Amaya to give Malik his meals. Whenever she enters his room, he would order her to put the food on the table; his back would always be turned on her. She never saw his face during the week. She wondered whether or not, he was eating frequently.

"Rishid-san, can I carry the food to Malik-sama again?" Amaya asked.

Rishid smiled and handed the tray of koshari to her, without a word. She accepted the food and walked down the hallway to Malik's room. Balancing the food on one hand, she brought a fist up to knock on the door. Usually, he would just say "Enter" but this time, he actually opened the door. She was surprised when she saw his eyes looking back at her. The old habit of hanging her head down came back as she said;" Here's your dinner, Malik-sama." Both of her hands supported the bottom of the tray of food, she expected him to take it and slam the door. Instead, she felt his hand grabbing her wrist and pulling her into the room. He got the tray from her and supported the bottom of it with his hand.

"I want you to eat with me like a pretend date. We have to make our 'relationship' as realistic as possible. I want to see your boyfriend's face boil red with jealousy," he said, pointing to a chair opposite his. She sat down as soon as he let go of her wrist. Amaya looked across the table so she could make eye contact with Malik. He said to make it realistic so she'll try her best. She couldn't bring herself to smile though. She was supposed to be on a pretend date yet she looked like she was about to face the death penalty.

"Now let's start," he said after settling himself in his chair. Both of Amaya's hands were on the table, close to the plate of food. One of Malik's hands looked like it was going to get a fork but one of his fingers slowly touched Amaya's hand. A chilly sensation went up and down her spine. She pulled her hand back but he had a tight grip on her other hand. He smirked when he saw a hint of a blush on her cheeks. To amuse himself even further, he pulled her hard enough so that her body jerked forward and stayed in that position. She whimpered slightly as Malik's face came closer to hers; his hold on her wrist tightened. She couldn't escape if she wanted to.

"Wait, I'm not rea-" Amaya said but was cut off by his lips. She could've kicked him, she could've bitten his lip, she could've done anything else to stop him from furthering the kiss but she didn't. She just closed her eyes and no longer felt lonely anymore. _I'm sorry..._A tear ran down her cheek as they deepened the kiss. Eventually, his arms were around her waist, which pulled her closer.

It is exactly twelve o'clock; Amaya looked at the beautiful scenery of the sun waking up for the day. She breathed in the fresh air and thought about how sad it was to depart from Rishid and Malik. Today was the day that they're finally going to be arriving at Battle City. She knew of everything that she had to do; it was simple yet hard at the same time. _How is my boyfriend going to be like? I'm getting so nervous just thinking about finally meeting him then I can go back to my real home. I'll get to see my parents again and my friends. I'll have to thank Rishid-san and Malik-sama...Malik-sama..._She sighed, looking up at all the white clouds in the sky. Some of them seemed to be the shape of a heart, a winged cupid with an arrow and bows and two doves flying together. She shook her head and defiantly told herself. _It's stupid to think about him this way, he's only going to use you and forget about you. Just forget about him. _

"Amaya!" Rishid called from the lower deck. Automatically, Amaya plastered a false smile on her face. Her conscience is right; it is foolish to think about him at all. She didn't want Rishid to know that she might have feelings for Malik so she'll just show him this mask. One of her fingers brushed her prized ring and she also felt happy. She's finally going to meet the guy, who gave her this ring! _I hope he won't forget me or already has another girlfriend. _"Amaya!" he called again.

"Ah, yes, Rishid-san!" Amaya said, running to wherever he was.

She peered into Rishid's room; he was sitting on his bed and stood up as soon as she entered. He put on a gentle face and said,"This is it. This means you're going to go home soon." Amaya smiled and rammed into him, briefly hugging him and repeatedly saying,"Thank you!"

"If it weren't for you, then...Ah! I'm just so grateful, Rishid-san! I'm also...a bit scared because what if...he forgot about me?" Amaya said.

"I'm confident that he won't forget about any detail of you. You're a very special girl, who should be deeply rooted into everybody, who comes across you. He wouldn't forget about you if he put out a large cash award just for information on your whereabouts."

"I don't deserve any of those compliments but if you say so, then it must be right," said Amaya. She tried to keep her sadness deeply rooted into the bottom of her heart. Truthfully, she didn't know what's bothering her. Maybe it was because of the overwhelming happiness of finally going home or maybe it was the sad feeling of knowing that she'll see Malik again. He said she's pretty...

Because he didn't eat much for four days, he fainted right in the middle of their kiss yesterday. Amaya carried him to his bed so that he could rest; before she could get out of the room, he grabbed her arm with a weak grip and whispered,"Did you know that you're so pretty?" Amaya thought that he said that because he was delirious or that he mistook her for another girl.

"Where's Malik-sama?" Amaya asked.

"It's a possibility that he's still sleeping. We're going to be boarding in about twenty minutes, go wake him up," he said.

"What!" Amaya exclaimed, which got Rishid off-guard. He noticed that Amaya's face was turning red looking like she was catching another cold. She regained her posture when she felt Rishid's confused gaze upon her. _If I act like this everytime he mentions Malik-sama, he's going to think something's up. _So Amaya just smiled slightly, nodded and proceeded to go to his room. She twiddled her fingers nervously as she knocked on Malik's door. There was no reply. Slowly, she opened the door. A lump could be seen under Malik's blanket.

She walked over to the bed, thinking that he was still slumbering. Her hand slowly took the covers off his body but it was only some pillows! _What's this? _Amaya's hand felt something hard and cold; she reached her hand further into the blanket. She took out the staff with the strange eye symbol that Malik always held. This was the first time that she knew that it wasn't with him. Out of curiosity, she touched one of the tip of the ax-like staff with her finger.

"What are you doing?" Malik's voice from behind her, surprised Amaya so she jerked forward and her finger was pressed into the sharp end. Blood spilled from the open injury on her finger; Malik took the Sennen rod from her. He had a look of pure anger. Amaya knew immediately that she was in trouble. She had never been told by Rishid to never touch it but she must've known that it was important. She tried to say something so that he wouldn't become angry with her but nothing came out, except broken sentences. He put two fingers to her lips to keep her from continuing.

"I'm not going to get angry this time because I know that I never told you not to touch it. However, this is a warning and if I catch you even brushing against it, you'll receive something worse than a warning," he said dangerously. She nodded to indicate that she understood what he said. "Wait," he said when she was about to say something else.

She watched in silence as he picked up her hand with the injured finger and put it to his mouth. He licked the blood from the finger with his tongue; Amaya made a shocked face. This wasn't going to make her life any easier. "Now isn't that better?" he whispered, pressing his forehead against hers.

"No-no, it isn't. What's better for you is to eat a full breakfast for dueling energy," she said, smiling. She moved her head away and slowly walked back, forgetting that there was a bed behind her; she tripped and fell into it. _Oh, crap! Why do I have a klutzy moment when I'm trying to make a graceful exit? _Malik chuckled at her embarrassed expression. He stuck his hand out and pulled her up after her own hand accepted his. "I meant what I said yesterday," he whispered in her ear. She whipped around to look at him but he was already walking out of the room.

_Malik-sama, do you know how much you're hurting me with all these games? I guess you don't care that you're playing around with my feelings. _Amaya trudged out of the room with another one of her false smiles. Hopefully, her false smile will turn into a real one when she meets her real boyfriend. Maybe his kiss would be better and more comforting, indicating that he truly does care for her and not just using her. All her hopes were the only thing that was making her go on.

"At least I'll have a few things to look forward to like girl clothes that'll fit me, my family greeting me and telling them about Ai-chan. Also, the father of the baby is probably my boyfriend," she said to herself as she walked down the board to land. Rishid was right by her side and Malik was getting ready to ride on his motorcycle. They were all preparing to go to Battle City along with other Ghouls. Amaya felt a tap on her side; she looked up at Rishid, who was smiling down at her. He extended a closed fist and opened it to reveal a flower hairpin.

"What a pretty hairpin!" Amaya said, noticing the way that it had shown in the sunlight. It looks like it was made from a smooth seashell. It was in the shape of a graceful flower.

"This is a present from me to you," Rishid said, smiling. "You're like a precious daughter to me. I feel like I have to protect you from the bad things in the world." Amaya couldn't take the kind words anymore. Thankfully, Malik, who beckoned for her to sit behind him on the motorcycle, saved her.

"Arigatou, Rishid-san," she said, gently taking the hairpin from him. She bowed before him and handed him three letters that was written the night before. "I don't have anything special to give you but my gratitude is expressed in those three letters. Please read them once we can't see each other anymore." She gave him a real smile before walking over to Malik and sat behind him. Once she wrapped her arms securely around his waist, Malik stepped on the pedal and rode off.

A/N: Finally they're off to Battle City. Of course, Rishid and Amaya will see each other again until the end of this story. Sorry if it seemed like the final good-bye between them both. I just couldn't think of anything else. Alot of stuff happened in this chapter between Amaya and Malik. Got any comments or questions about that? Or maybe you want to ask about the sequel.

**Rose-Dragonfire**Well, usually, angsty stories are supposed to be tragic or have some sadness in it.

**Josephine Jekyl**: As far as I can tell, yes, Hoshi is dead. Although, I didn't intend to bring him back in the first place but it was better than Amaya fainting or something. You're close on Malik's plan. What he wants to do is to make her seem like his girlfriend, he doesn't intend for her to actually have feelings for him. Of course, he will rub it in Kaiba's face. I'm glad that that was a wait-worthy chapter.

**CRAZYABOUTANIME**: Did take me a while to finally put some Malik action in there, huh? Enjoy the future chapters.

**Cataracta**: That's a good guess but no, that really was Hoshi swimming after her. Even in near death, he'll still try to stalk Amaya. lol

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	15. A New Friend

A/N: I use original Japanese names for every YGO character so if you don't know any of them, then look at the mini-name guide under this message. I'll give the rest of them later when they actually appear in the story.

Name Guide: Japanese/English

Shizuka Kawai/Serenity Wheeler

Honda Hiroto/Tristan Taylor

Chapter 14: A New Friend

_Urgh...I'm going to get sick from this motorcycle ride...Malik-sama going so fast..._Amaya thought as she strongly squeezed Malik's waist for fear of falling off the motorcycle. Her eyes were tightly closed as the strong wind whipped her hair across her flushed cheeks. Amaya couldn't get over that she was so close to her master. She tried not to enjoy leaning against his back that much but to her, under this circumstance of being forced to be on a speedy vehicle, it was a way of feeling safe. Unfortunately, she was also cutting of Malik's circulation so he had to jab his arm into her stomach to get her to loosen her hold.

"Gomen nasai," she said quietly.

He ignored her apology and concentrated on the road. They were already halfway to the heart of Battle City but before they put his plan into action, Amaya had to go shopping for girls' clothes and get a haircut. In an attempt to calm herself down, Amaya took in as much blurred views of Domino City as she can. It didn't help her carsickness get better because they just made her head dizzier. Amaya withdrew one arm from Malik's waist so she could hold in the food that was coming up from her stomach. _I can't believe I'm getting sick already! _Amaya tried to swallow the vomit so she wouldn't throw up on him. When he turned his head slightly, he could see that her expression was pallid.

"Don't throw up until we reach the alley!" he yelled above the roaring sounds of the engine. She nodded although her breakfast was threatening to spill out of her mouth. She turned her head in the other direction so that she could see the sides of the alley coming in her view. As soon as he stopped, she jumped off the seat and retched into the corner of the semi-dark alley. The yellow and white substance of eyes landed on the ground with a sloshing _thud _as she supported herself with one palm against the alley wall.

"Useless..." Amaya could hear him say after he swung one leg off the side of the motorcycle, pulled off his white helmet and looked at the person in front of his path. "You're in my way," Malik simply said to the silver-haired person. Amaya turned her head to the person that he was talking to, noticing the strange looking necklace that he was wearing. Under the weak sun ray that managed to shine upon the alley, the similar eye symbol on Malik's golden staff was in the middle of the golden necklace, staring back at her.

"Malik-sama," she said, to tell him that she was finished, but he put a hand up to stop her.

"You can only pass if you hand me your Sennen item," the stranger said with his arms spread out so that they couldn't pass through.

The dark atmosphere and this strange person subconsciously made Amaya near Malik and hold onto his arm. She repeatedly muttered,"Oh, my god," right into his ear, closing her eyes. She had a feeling that something bad would happen if Malik didn't hand over whatever a 'Sennen item' is. After all, this person had even risked his life by placing himself in front of a speeding motorcycle. The other clue that he was a dangerous person is that he seemed to be hanging out in a dark alley. _What kind of person hangs out in an alley when they could be in the open sun? A criminal! _

"You," he turned to Amaya, prying her hands off his arm,"go into the city to get some modern girls clothes and fix your hair. Here's some money for that." He took out a little bag full of yen enough for all her essentials. "Look presentable enough to showoff in front of your koishii," he continued, twirling a strand of her uneven hair around his finger.

"Yes," she said, glad that it was dark enough to hide her blush. "But how I get through that person, Malik-sama? He looks like he means business."

"You don't have to worry about a thing; he'll let you go through. Also, you don't have to search for me. I will search for you when the time comes." Truthfully, Amaya didn't want to explore a strange city all by herself. She wished that Rishid could've came with her but she knows that she'll see him again. He told her before she climbed on the back of Malik's motorcycle.

_All alone in the big city where I don't know if any guy that passes by could be my boyfriend or not. What if I pass him and didn't know at all? Then again, if he recognizes me then he'd yell out my name and embrace me. _Amaya held this hope close to her heart as she started to approach the person, who was blocking her way to the city. When she looked up, she could see that he was looking at her with a questionable look. He was curious how this one girl expect to pass him when Malik said,"The girl doesn't have to do with this discussion so just let her by."

"There is no discussion; either you give me your Sennen item or-" he said, trying to grab Amaya by the back of her cloak, but she was too fast for him. Instead, he missed her, and she ran when she saw that his arm wasn't blocking the way anymore. He was seething at his slow action but turned back to Malik; after all, since the girl didn't have to do with the matter, then why bother?

Panting heavily, Amaya ran far away from the alley, leaving Malik and the stranger. She wondered if Malik was going to be okay against the strange guy. However, she couldn't disobey him so she had to run. Once she thought that she was safe, she looked around at her new surroundings and saw the street filled with bustling businesses and hear the lively conversations from people all around her. There were girls wearing the most fashionable outfits, the businessmen with suits on and et cetera. She felt like such an outcast with the big and long, deep violent cloak on her. As she walked forward to avoid everybody's pointing and whisperings, she tried to look for a clothing store.

"Hey!" she heard someone call, it was a male voice. "Hey you! Right there!" She turned around, her heart fluttered, _Could it be my boyfriend that found me? _Instead, when she turned around to face the person, it was the face of a young man with a strange contraption on his arm. He also had a deck on Dueling Monsters cards on it, neatly stacked and bounded. He looked older than her by five years but around 17 years old, had dark facial hair in the middle of his chin but his hair was balding in the middle of his head. (Kinda sounds like how a Takahashi created-character, huh? I swear, sometimes he creates the most creepy looking unimportant character.)

"Yes?" she asked with disappointment. The teenage guy was shocked when he saw Amaya's face, he thought that almost all Ghouls were men. Although, he was sure that other Battle City contenders told him that all the Ghouls (or Rarehunters) wore a dark purple cloak. _This girl is unmistakably a member of Ghoul or she wouldn't wear that strange outfit. Then again, she doesn't even have a duel disk. Oh, well, at least I finally found one. _

"I challenge you to a duel!" He shouted, pointing to her.

She gasped, "But-" _Oh my god! It must be the uniform that gave me away! I knew I should've asked Rishid-san to teach me! How embarrassing, other Ghouls usually know how to play... I'm really such a big disgrace to them...Then again, other Ghouls can't pretend to be Malik-sama's girlfriend. _She thought happily, smiling to herself.

Although, her challenger saw her smile and mistook as a smile of confidence. He thought that she thinks that she could beat him at a duel. He was about to shot an insult at her when a shriek could be heard nearby. The guy with facial hair just muttered something about a prior engagement and ran away as soon as possible. It was clear that that guy was all talk but no show. Amaya tried to locate the source of the scream but looking here and there. Other people also heard the scream though they tried to move away from wherever the scream was coming from. She was exasperated at the fact that these people wouldn't try to help, whoever was in trouble. She couldn't deal with them now. Amaya ran up the street, stopped and listened hard. "AAAHHH! HELP!" _There it goes again!_

A few more paces and she could hear the attacker's silky male voice and the victim's shrieks and screams. It was coming from the alley to the side of her, Amaya pulled her hood over her head; this way the attacker couldn't see that she was only a girl. The attacker would think that she was another guy. Her feet scurried into the dark alley; Amaya clenched onto her teeth. _This isn't making the situation any better. Use your head, Amaya. Of course, somebody would choose this place to attack somebody. _With that thought, she charged into the darkness, trying to find the attacker and the victim. Because of the lack of light, she couldn't find her way around but she tripped over a small lead pipe that she picked up for protection. _Okay, now I have one question to ask myself; what the hell am I doing here! Wish anyone could be here even if it was Hoshi, when we find the attacker, he would attack him instead of whoever he's attacking. _Her face was flustered by the anger of the thought. The more that she thought about Hoshi, the more she wanted him to get hurt rather than drown. _Stupid me, I shouldn't be emotional at a crucial like this. _

"Please leave me alone!" a young girl's voice yelled.

"Shut the fuck up! You'll be left alone after I'm done with you..." the attacker said lewdly. Amaya's heart filled up with anger,_ That's exactly what he tried to do to me...! How could anybody do this kind of stuff to young girls! _

"S-STOP IT!" Amaya called out in her 'male' voice though it was shaky. _More confidence! If he hears your shaky voice again, he'll think you're weak! _"LEAVE HER ALONE!" She shouted into the dark space, where she thinks that the attacker had the girl pinned up against a wall. Her heart was pumping heavier each second. She could hardly breathe under all this pressure. What if he does something sneaky and tackles her? She wouldn't be able to see that coming since it was dark as the night sky.

The grip on the small lead pipe shook and it wanted to swing into the darkness so she could hit the attacker. Although, she questioned whether or not, she'll miss the attacker and hit the victim instead. "Give me one good reason why I should let this pretty young thing go?" the lewd man asked harshly.

_That voice sounds so familiar...It sounds like my roommate back at Headquarters! Yes, I remember that he was also sent here! So...all he does here is try to get lucky. The only thing that I know he's scared of: Malik-sama himself! _"You HAVE to let her go because...Malik-sama requested her himself! If he ever found out that you're trying to get what's his then you'll know what happen to you!" Amaya shouted. She hoped that this would work.

"That voice...it sounds a bit quiet but it sounds like Osaze! That same wimpy, short and feminine looking roommate of mine?" he asked uncertainty.

"Yes, I am all those things that you just said," she said, with a frustrated tone. _So that's how the other Ghouls viewed me as when I was pretending to be a guy? WIMPY! Okay, really not the time to be thinking that right now. _

"And you said that Malik-sama wants this girl? How can you be sure that this is even the girl? What does the girl that Malik-sama want, look like?" he asked.

_Damn it! Now what! He's on to my lie! All I know is how her screams sounds like-Ah! That's it! How her scream sounds like! _

"I can't say that I remember every description of her, but I do remember that she's pretty and how Malik-sama described her scream. So go ahead: tell her to scream," she said, hoping that the girl would comply with her request.

"Malik-sama even described how she screamed?" he asked, clearly thinking about the strange description.

"Well...She is his old girlfriend and they probably did...stuff together," she said, trying to sound like a perverted guy. But the conservative 'did...stuff together' part probably killed it. Amaya was feeling sorry for that girl every second that the attacker wasted. The girl's whimpering and halted breaths could be heard in the quiet alley.

_This is taking too long! _"I've got a cellphone on me right now, Sakamoto-san, if you don't hand her to me right this second, I'm calling Malik-sama. You know how he is when he's impatient!" she shouted angrily. The loud tone was so powerful that Sakamoto was even shocked that this was soft-spoken Osaze.

"Fine, I'll let her go but when you get back to Malik-sama; you have to tell him that I was the one, who found the girl!" he said, walking towards Amaya. She couldn't see him but his footsteps could be heard coming towards her. She clutched onto the lead pipe tightly as a weight settled onto her chest. "The girl just fainted but she's all right. So don't go telling Malik-sama that I harmed her if you find any bruises on her."

"I know, I know," she said, waited as soon as he walked out of the alley. As soon as the last of his footsteps stopped, she dropped the lead pipe and shook the girl's limp body. "Hey, wake up! Everything's all right now!" she whispered loudly, feeling at the base of the girl's hand for a pulse. "Whew," she sighed in relief when she felt one. Since Amaya felt drained from vomiting earlier, she had to lift the girl half-way on her back and put her arms over her shoulders so that she could drag the girl out of the alley. A bright light of the alley's opening welcomed her as she strenuously carried the girl.

"What a bad and interesting day at the same time," Amaya sighed. When she looked back to see if the girl was stirring, she noticed a white cloth that blindfolded her. She thought that maybe Sakamoto might've have done it when she was held captive by him.

"Ah, you're awake. Are you okay?" Amaya asked. Shizuka lifted her head from Amaya's back and turned in all directions, then said, "OH MY GOD! AM I-?" She pushed away from Amaya, thinking that Amaya was a pervert, carrying her away somewhere. _Why is she-Oh yeah, I'm still using my guy voice. _"Um sorry about that. I saved you from Sakamoto but don't worry about me. My badly pronounced guy voice probably fooled you into thinking I was a guy, huh? That thing about bringing you to some other guy was a lie. I'm Amaya, by the way. What's your name?" she said in a friendly voice.

"You save me?" she asked in a quiet voice. "Oh my god! Thank you so much!" Shizuka cried, hugging Amaya from behind.

"URGH! I'm glad that you're thankful but you're a really strong girl! Can't breathe!" Amaya cried.

"So-sorry. I was just so scared! I couldn't believe that I was caught so fast after wandering a bit from Honda-kun!" she said chokingly.

"I guess I understand how you feel. Can you walk...uh...I don't know your name yet," said Amaya.

"My name is Kawai Shizuka. I'm pleased to meet you, Amaya-san. Forgive me for the first name calling but you haven't told me your surname," Shizuka said, bowing.

"The truth is, I don't know my surname," Amaya said sadly.

"Why?" Shizuka inquired.

"It's a long story and I would rather not talk about it. Anyway, it's fine for you to call me that and let's change the subject. Kawai-san, can you walk or are you still shaken from what happened?" Amaya asked.

"All my heroes can call me Shizuka-chan and yes, I can walk fine. I need to find my brother's friend, Honda-kun," Shizuka said with more confidence.

"Um...He might be angry with me for being a bit late but...Okay! How does he look like?" Amaya asked.

"No idea," Shizuka said, making Amaya sweatdrop.

"How can you not know!" she said.

"I was blind..." _Oh, crap! I yelled at her for something that she literally couldn't do! _

"I'm sorry about that. Is that why you have a cloth wrapped around your eyes?" she asked cautiously.

"Well, that's partly the reason. I was blind but after that my onni-chan paid for my surgery and I can see now. But I don't want to take off the bandages until I actually get to see my hero," she smiled.

"Wow...That's inspirational! Your brother must be a millionaire or something!" she exclaimed, tugging Shizuka slightly so that she would start walking. "Okay, I guess we should call his name until we find this Honda-kun since you don't know his appearance."

"HEY GHOUL! I CHALLENGE YOU-" Before that person could finish his sentence, Amaya pulled Shizuka's arm and ran like the wind. She didn't want to encounter anymore duelists, who wish to duel her.

The first thing on her itinerary was to get to a boutique as fast as she could. Shizuka agreed to go since it would be for a few seconds. It wouldn't take long for Amaya to pick just any outfit that would be pretty for her boyfriend. Although, she was just like any other girl so she started to go crazy after trying on a few outfits and thinking that she didn't look good enough. She couldn't count on Shizuka to see if she looked pretty in any of those outfits. _I wonder what Malik-sama would find me pretty in. I need a guy's opinion! _

"What's wrong, Amaya-san?" Shizuka asked, waiting while sitting on a small sofa.

"Crap! None of these clothes are pretty enough!" she whined. She put her hands on her hips while looking at the full-length mirror. She studied her image, examining every hair and every detail of her body. "I stand corrected; these clothes are pretty enough. It's me that's not pretty enough for these clothes." Now the self-conscious Amaya was trying on a black skirt that was one inch above her knees, a lacey white sweater with a conservative white shirt underneath. She had combed and tied her straight black hair up to match the outfit. On her feet were black boots with three-inch heels.

"Excuse me," a soft voice said, causing Amaya to turn around. The face that she saw shocked her, _It's the same guy that blocked our way this morning! How did he find me here and more importantly, where's Malik-sama! What is he doing here! _The shock of seeing the man with the same necklace made Amaya back up against the mirror. _One horror after another! Today's a terrible day! Shizuka-chan has to get out of here! _

"Don't be alarmed," he said, covering Amaya's mouth with his hand when she was about to scream. He leaned closer to her ear and whispered, "Malik told me to come to see if you're okay." His hot breath on her ear made her uneasy even if it seemed that Malik trusts him now. "Wh-where is he?" she asked fearfully. She didn't want to imagine him injured in that same alley.

"He's off somewhere but don't worry, Amaya-chan. Your precious boyfriend will come back to you," he said mockingly.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Amaya snapped, slapping his hand away. "And go away, my friend and I have to do lots more shopping!" She knew that it was a lie since she was only going to buy one outfit and go to a salon and be done with her appearance. _Please go away. Go away! _Speedily, Amaya walked past Bakura guiding Shizuka and herself to the cash register so that she could pay for the outfit that she had on. She didn't care about the necessity of an outfit pretty enough for her anymore; she just wanted to get away from him. Fortunately, he didn't make a move to follow them. He just stood there with an amused look on his face.

_Why did Malik-sama hire a creepy man to look after me? Rishid-san would've sufficed._

A/N: Oh, man this chapter was so long for me. Please the least some reviewers could do is give me at least a semi-long review on some of their reactions for certain scenes, what they liked, what they hated, what should've happened, etc. Honestly, I think that if an author was kind enough to spend their time on a long chapter; a reviewer should do the same for a review. It took me 8 hours for this chapter (mainly because I was bored) but also because I wanted this chapter to be longer and better.

Anyway, my comments on the chapter; no Bakura doesn't have feelings for Amaya. He likes to make her feel bad by saying stuff like 'Malik won't ever like you, etc' in the future chapters. I wrote this chapter because I wanted people to know that Amaya isn't some wimpy girl. Also, I wanted to find another friend for Amaya so Shizuka was the perfect choice because she's about the same age as Amaya.


	16. Tormenting Nightmare

A/N: Be warned. This chapter isn't that graphic but I'd rather people not read it if they're faint of heart.

Chapter 15: Tormenting Nightmares

_Ugh...I want to sit down because these boots are killing my feet. Every step I take, it feels like knives stabbing into feet. _Amaya thought as she gritted her teeth to endure her pain. _Why did I have the brilliant idea of wearing three-inch heels! But I can't stop...Have to keep on going..._"OW! OW! OW!" she yelped every time she took a step on the ground.

"Something wrong, Amaya-san?" Shizuka asked, worried. Amaya just sweatdropped and giggled nervously. She didn't want Shizuka to worry about her since she had to return Shizuka to where she rightfully belonged. Besides, she didn't know when Malik would need her. What if Malik found her at any moment and he discovered that she was helping some strange girl instead of obeying his order?

"Nothing's wrong. I just yelped because I accidentally got my hair caught...in a door but I'm fine now! Really!" she said reassuringly.

"If you're sure now then let's go but if you need to rest, then please tell me. You shouldn't walk so much just because you want to help me find Honda-kun," Shizuka said.

"No, I'm just fine. Just great..." Amaya muttered. "We have to find your brother's friend."

She looked away from Shizuka as if to avoid her gaze, even though she still had her cloth bandages on. It was then that Amaya noticed something peculiar.

"Shizuka-chan, are you starting to get as uncomfortable as me?" Amaya asked, holding tighter onto Shizuka's arm. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see some people looking at her and whispering to the person next to them behind their hands. She tried to turn her attention somewhere else to avoid their pointing and staring. _Why are all these people still looking strangely at me? I already changed my clothes. Is it possible that they still see me for the Ghoul that I am? What if other people still want to duel me?_

"Shizuka! Shizuka!" someone called from behind them. Shizuka's eyes brightened up from under her cloth blindfold. She turned to the direction that the voice seemed to come from. Sure enough when Amaya turned to the same direction, she could see a tall teenage boy with brown hair running up to the pair. He had an extremely relieved expression on his face.

"Honda-kun!" Shizuka exclaimed happily. Amaya smiled slightly at Shizuka's happy smile. She just wished that she could smile like that.

"There you are, Shizuka!" Honda said when he came up to them, grasping his knees so he could catch his breath. "I can't believe that I lost you back there! Sorry for that!"

"That's okay, Honda-kun. Amaya-san has been taking good care of me," Shizuka said, patting Amaya's hand.

"Amaya?" he repeated, looking at the black-haired girl in front of him. "Oh, konnichiwa and thank you for watching over Shizuka while I was gone." He gave a bow of thanks but she stopped him from bowing any further. "If Jounouchi ever found out that I lost Shizuka, he would've killed me."

"It's my pleasure. No really, you don't have to bow in front of me," Amaya said modestly.

When he got up from the ground, Honda look at Amaya before saying, "You know, you look like you're about Shizuka's age. Are you one of Shizuka's friends from her school or something?"

"Ah, no. I didn't know Shi-chan until now," she replied.

He locked his gaze on her for a while, making Amaya insecure so she blushed and turned away from him. When he realized why she turned away, Honda stuttered and blushed himself, "Oh, sorry! I was just looking at you because you seem kind of familiar-"

"Really! Can you tell me what my last name is then?" Amaya asked frantically, grasping onto his arm. Confused at her behavior, he just scratched his head, shaking it after trying to remember. He doesn't know her personally although her face looks so familiar. He just couldn't place his thumb on where he saw her before.

"Oh..." she said dejectedly, letting go of his arm.

"Wait a minute. You seemed happy when you thought that I knew you from somewhere. Are you lost?" Honda asked.

"You could say that. Ah! Look at the time. I actually have to get going now. Good-bye to you both," Amaya said, smiling at them. Shizuka bowed before Amaya, thanking her repeatedly for saving her from getting raped. Honda was surprised at what Shizuka just said though before he could say anything, Amaya was already crossing the street. _Hope to see you again, Shi-chan and Honda-san. _

As she walked along the unfamiliar street, she took a clumsy step forward. She almost lost her balance but she regained it and walked on. _Ah, I'm so hungry. I could feel a headache coming on. I'd better stop by a nearby restaurant. The sky's turning dark..._ Without warning, Amaya's body collapsed on the ground. Passersby stopped and surrounded her body, whispering frantically. She could barely make out any of their words as she was surrounded by darkness.

_It's so funny how you can fall in love so quickly...especially with someone like him. _Abruptly, she turned around to the familiar voice...to her own voice. The full-length mirror in front of her reflected her, but her reflection had a light and sad smile upon her visage. The girl in the mirror had straight black hair that spilled two inches over her shoulders, sad sky blue eyes and tears spilling down. "How ironic. No matter how much you suffered, you are still falling in love." Her tone held a hint of condescendence yet was strained with emotion.

"What are you talking about? I'm not falling in love with anybody!" The real Amaya shouted at her reflection, who just shook her head slowly. "Anyway, that's not the issue here." Amaya hung her head, her backside sliding down the smooth and cool glass of the mirror. "I just want to go home. I'm sick of feeling lonely and I just want to be greeted by somebody that actually knows me! Is that too much to ask? And be with my boyfriend again...To tell him about Ai..." She couldn't stop her tears anymore. _I promised myself I wouldn't cry. Everytime something happens, I find myself spilling my tears. _She hugged her knees closer to her body; forgetting about her look-alike behind the glass.

"Look, I am you and you are me. Amaya, listen!" Mirror Amaya yelled desperately when the real Amaya simply turned away and walked into the dark surroundings. "I know that you're probably thinking that this isn't real. However, heed my warning and don't fall in love with your master. You'll only get hurt even more! At times, he might be nice but he's not what you think!"

She turned venomously at her reflection and snapped at her. "Shut up! I'm not falling in love with him! I'm just being used by him so he can obtain whatever it is he wants! He doesn't care about me and I don't care about him!" Her eyes were full of hatred. Directed at what? Her talking reflection? No. Was it really for herself? Hatred for herself because she couldn't admit that his using her made her hurt. Did she really think that she could fool herself? _He doesn't care about me. When he said that I was pretty, that was a lie! Everything was fake; those kisses, the compliments, his kindness! _

"YOU ARE FALLING FOR HIM! STOP LYING TO ME! It's no use; I AM YOU! I can tell your thoughts; they're my thoughts, too!" Reflected Amaya yelled. More tears slid down her cheeks. "Please stop it. Stop falling for him. It's only going to hurt you and me...I can't stand anymore hurt!" Her head drooped so that her tears rained down on the floor.

As she watched her cry, reflection Amaya and the full length mirror disappeared. Amaya reached her hand out, she didn't want to be alone in this dark place. She couldn't handle the quiet atmosphere. She needed companionship, something...someone to help her ease her pain. Suddenly as Amaya raised her head to look around the place, she saw that she had been transported somewhere else. It wasn't that dark place anymore. It was dimly lit with several low candles scattered about the floor. She looked down at the outfit that she had on, it wasn't the white outfit that she'd bought anymore. Her new outfit consisted of a black plaited skirt, a white blouse inside, a black jacket on the outside and ankle high black socks. A red ribbon lay on the foot of the bed on which she was sitting on. The brass buttons of her black jacket were half-undone.

While panicking and looking around the room, she buttoned up her uniform jacket. _Where is this place? How did I get here? Where is everybody? _The flames from the candles were dying just as Amaya got off of the bed. She peered around the door frame to see if somebody was coming by. The dark hallway convinced her that it was empty. Amaya tucked a hair behind her ear while nervously walking out of the room. Her feet made light echoing sounds on the cool floor, making her cautious of every step she took. What if someone suddenly caught her in this place? Would they deem her to be a trespasser and punish her? _No, Amaya! Don't think that way. Just explain to them that you got lost...somehow. _

"Where do you think you're doing?" A deep voice asked. A pair of arms hugged Amaya from behind. Suddenly afraid, Amaya tried to pry the stranger's arms away but to no avail. This stranger was very persistent since he was feeling up her shirt. Amaya wanted to scream an objection; she could just release a frightened squeak. "Le-let go of me," she managed to blurt out. She let out a cry after the stranger slammed her against the wall. She couldn't see him but she could tell that he was close to her. His arms were on either side on the wall so she wouldn't be able to escape.

"Why? So another guy can touch you? I don't think so," he said angrily. "Amaya..." He moaned, licking the side of her neck. Amaya just closed her eyes and endured the disgusting gesture. "You can't...Not now," she whimpered. "St-stop, I really am tired. The doctor told me that I should sleep more for the baby..."

"What the hell are you talking about? Are you still thinking about Ai? Don't you remember that she died inside you? You killed her," he said calmly.

"I...killed her?" Amaya repeated in shock. _That's a lie! Ai is still in my stomach. I can feel her. _She put her hand on her stomach, just in case. _Yes..._She could still feel her baby kicking. In about two months from now, Amaya's first baby was going to be born. The doctor told her that it would be a girl. She was so happy and she'd already picked out her name. 'Ai' was going to be the baby's name because all those months of carrying her, Amaya fell in love with Ai. The word 'Ai' meant 'love'. "If you're trying to tell me a joke, you're not being funny. Telling a pregnant woman that she killed her own child..." Amaya said defensibly. _He was lying. It couldn't be true. It just couldn't. Ai's going to grow up to be a healthy baby girl...isn't she? _

"Give me a break. You women are getting emotional about something. You DID kill Ai but don't worry, we can make a new baby," he said lewdly. His arms began to wrap around her waist. She roughly pushed him away and yelled, "How can you say that! It was your baby, too! Don't you ca-?" Before she could finish her sentence, he had grabbed her and slammed her against the wall again. She embedded her nails into his skin; trying to pry his lips off of hers. _I don't want this. I don't want this. Please...Mom...Dad...HELP! _

"HELP!" She woke up screaming in the hotel room. Abruptly, she yanked open her pajama collar to see if it really did happened. There was nothing on her lower neck but her bare skin. She remembered clearly that the person in the dream gave her a hickey there. _Wait a minute. A blue-plaid pajama shirt and pants? I wasn't wearing this earlier! Who-? _

"So you're finally awake? You've been out for two hours. I found you collapsed on some sidewalk. I saw your new 'presentable' outfit. How can you-" Malik stopped in mid-sentence. He stared surprisingly at the vulnerable Amaya, who had just jumped into his arms. Her body was shivering violently against his. She couldn't breathe properly as she sobbed into his chest. "I couldn't have done it! Ai! Please tell me that you believe me, Malik-sama!" She cried, clutching onto his shirt.

_Her skin is so soft..._Malik thought as he blushed. "What are you crying about?" He asked. Neither one of them was conscious that they were holding each other. _What's wrong, Amaya? So miserable...You look so miserable. What can I do to make you feel better? _He wasn't aware that he was brushing her bangs out of her face. Wasn't aware that he was wiping one tear away...Unaware that she stopped crying to look shockingly at him...Unaware that he was pushing his hand up her shirt...

A/N: This chapter was full of foreshadowing for upcoming chapters. I hope that all of my reviewers return and give me good reviews. I miss them...(pout). Can't wait til the next chapter and the ending chapter will come relatively soon. Oh, yeah about the black outfit when she was in the dimly lit room, it's her junior high school uniform.

**Darkside Girl**: That was actually Hoshi, who did 'come back' from the dead to stalk Amaya. Malik actually used his Millennium Rod to control Hoshi to drown himself. That's why Amaya couldn't see Hoshi anymore. Thank you for giving me such a long review! I'm glad you agree with me on that short review problem. The part where Amaya was getting sick on Malik's motorcycle wasn't intended to be funny but as long as you liked it. I'm happy that you commented on the main parts of the story. Lastly, Yami Malik is going to be in this story but he's sort of tortures Amaya-chan. You'll find out how later!

**Cataracta:** I don't really view Amaya as a wimp either. Although, she has to be a strong heroine. I like the main character to be stronger than she was in the beginning of the story.

**Josephine Jekyl: **I used to get motion sickness a lot when I was little but I got used to it. Yeah, the whole purple robes thing must be embarrassing but it's important that Yugi and the others can't know that she is a rarehunter/ghoul. So she has to change into normal clothing. Hehe I also liked it when duelists tried to challenge Amaya. I really want her to duel with somebody though.

**MiserysSin: **I'm glad that you can relate to Amaya but I never want anyone to relate to her in that way. I'm so sorry about what almost happened to you.

**YamiYuugi342**: Thank you for reviewing.

**Poisonous-Lily**: Thank you for the compliment. Honestly, I don't know how many people have this on their favorites list. I'm just proud to have one...

**Tsukichan-san**: Ah, sorry, sorry! I got this review a LONG time but I still couldn't make you happy. You see, I had trouble thinking about how the chapter should've went. Although, when you reviewed me and told me about your birthday, I immediately tried to finish the chapter. Then I got frustrated and quit. So sorry...Um...Happy belated birthday.

**Kyte:** As I explained in another story, I don't like it when two characters fall in love because they're cute or beautiful and they don't know much about each other. Usually, I want them to have a bond before falling in love. She doesn't hate Malik; she's just afraid of him. Thank you for reviewing.


	17. Feelings

A/N: All right, I've been bored lately. Can anybody recommend any good YGO fics? Please do if you know any.

Chapter 16: Feelings

_"He isn't whom you think he is..."_ The words echoed in her mind. Suddenly, it dawned on her. He was trying to take advantage of her. Images flashed before her eyes...The images of Hoshi on top of her...the image of someone licking her neck and molesting her...Was she just a plaything that everyone can do what they please with her? The experience with Hoshi was enough to make her vomit. "Stop it!" She yelled, squirming away from his touch. _Disgusting...So disgusting...Rishid-san was the only one who never tried anything with me! Why, Malik-sama! _At her command, he stopped and released her. She ran into the bathroom, bent over the toilet. Even after she stopped vomiting, she stayed inside the locked bathroom; crying over the loud running water.

For the rest of the night, she slept in the dry bathtub while on the other side of the door, Malik thought about his actions. _I didn't mean for that to happen. Damn! Without Rishid, I can't control him..._Malik used the hotel key to open the bathroom door and looked for the girl. He heard light breathing from the bathtub. He smiled at the sight of her sleeping. _Just carrying her makes me feel different. _He carried her to the bed. Amaya rolled over on her side while Malik pulled the covers over her body. "I'm sorry, Amaya," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her.

Mokuba was trying to remember the person's face. _She looked exactly like Amaya-chan but she walked past me without saying hi to me. Should I tell nii-sama about this? _He looked out of the window, pressing his palm against the glass. _Come on home, Amaya, he misses you. I miss you, too. _Smiling, he recalled the time when he caught his brother and Amaya making out. He had just opened a door when he saw Amaya's backside and his brother's eyes closed. In his opinion, Amaya looked pretty that day. A deep blue headband bound her black bangs. She wore a dark purple lacey shirt with a white shirt underneath and a blue skirt. It was just one inch above her knees. That's probably why Mokuba liked her the best; she's able to be pretty without wearing less.

"Heh, heh. Sorry for barging in on you guys," Mokuba said in embarrassment. His sudden greeting surprised Amaya and Kaiba. They broke apart from their kiss, leaving a flustered Amaya and a disappointed Kaiba. "Oh, hello Mokuba-kun. How are you?" Amaya said, smiling at him.

"I'm fine, Amaya-chan. How were you and nii-sama making out?" Mokuba joked. Amaya wasn't smiling anymore; instead, she looked like she was about to cry. Amaya cleared her throat. "I feel kind of sick. I'm going to go home by **myself**," she said. She put emphasis on the word 'myself.'

"But wait! Wouldn't it be safer if nii-sama accompanied you?" He said. Amaya shook her head before shooting Kaiba a disaffectionate glare. Then she walked off without a word of goodbye. When Mokuba asked his brother why Amaya looked upset, he just turned away. Back in the present, he wondered if Amaya ran away because his brother somehow made her mad. He knows how his brother can be around people sometimes...

In the hotel room, Amaya sat up in the bed; thinking about what almost happened yesterday. She remembered that she was sleeping in the tub though she guessed that he spared her the bed. Earlier, when she woke up, she couldn't find Malik anywhere. _I should probably stay here until he returns. _Amaya hugged her knees closer to her chest. She sighed mentally, rocking her body back and forth. She closed her eyes and remembered everything. Remembered when he held her yesterday...It had felt so nice. Then he tried to touch her inappropriately. _Was it because I was so vulnerable that he felt like he could take advantage of me? I feel so confused. Even though, I tried to push the thought out of my mind. All along, I've started to develop feelings for him. But...how can I love someone, who would want to rape me? It's all for the best. I guess I found out the real him. I won't have to think about it any longer. I've decided, my real boyfriend's the only one for me._

"Well! Now that it's decided, I should go and get some breakfast," Amaya said, happily to herself. She went to the bathroom to change her clothes. By then, her true feelings dug themselves deeper and deeper into the bottom of her heart. She didn't want to hurt herself anymore. She didn't even care if her self-conscious was eating itself up. She put a fake smile on her face. She'll put up with the girlfriend act until Malik gets whatever it is he wanted (from her boyfriend). She'll comply with every one of her master's commands (except to have sex). She'll ignore all the tears that might fall in the future. She'll push the matter of Ai in the back of her mind. She'll push the matter of the nightmare behind her. She'll forget the words that the stranger in her dream said, "Are you still thinking about Ai? Don't you remember that she died inside you? You killed her."

She slipped on the last article of clothing and opened the bathroom door. To her surprise, she came face to face with Malik. Her heart pounded with fear at first; then she smiled and bowed before him. "Good morning, Malik-sama. I was about to get some breakfast," she said. He didn't say anything. In his hand, he was holding a white shopping bag with a famous black logo on it. It looked like it came from an expensive clothing store. He pushed it towards her and told her to change into it. With another bow, she held onto the bag and went into the bathroom again. He waited for her while sitting on the edge of the bed.

He remembered what that lady said at the boutique. "Oh, this outfit would be perfect for your girlfriend!" The cheerful woman was probably in her early twenties. She had long auburn hair and had expensive pearl earrings. She seemed to be smiling a lot. She had on a black tanktop, a see-through red long-sleeved shirt over it and a long black skirt.

When Malik saw Amaya's outfit yesterday, he knew that he had to find another one for Amaya to wear. To him, her whole ensemble wasn't special enough for Amaya. So when he woke up before Amaya, he went to a promising looking boutique. He was just looking around when the afore-said lady asked him if he needed help. "I'm just looking for something that would suit a special occasion for a girl I know. Something simple but elegant at the same time," he said, looking at a short black dress.

"Oh, I get it! You're trying to find a special outfit for your girlfriend, am I right? Well, you've come to the right place! This is **the **place for a shining girl," the woman said.

"'Shining girl?'" Malik repeated.

She nodded. "Correct. That's what we here call a girl in love. In this store, we believe that every girl is at their most beautiful when they're in love. Still don't get it?" She added when she looked at Malik's face. He had on a look of confusion. _If a girl's already beautiful, then how could a girl be more beautiful if she's in love? _He repeated the same question to the saleswoman.

"It's quite simple. In this world, most people believe that girls are beautiful when they put on make-up. It's true that make-up may help 'hide' a girl's imperfections and then they think they're beautiful without them. However, a girl in love already has on blush, her natural blush, and not a beauty product from a department store. Then there's the girl's smile. Whenever she's thinking about her one love, there's a truly bright smile on her face that enhances her natural beauty. And let's not forget about that look in their eyes; that dreamy but deep look. It's almost as if she's a princess. To most people, what I'm saying probably seems ridiculous who cares as long as I'm in love and happy?" She said, smiling.

"Sure...I guess. Then for a guy, if he's feeling unsure around a girl and thinks about her. Does that mean-?" He stopped. _This is ridiculous. Why am I asking a complete stranger?_ He didn't know that he was blushing on the outside. "Just forget about what I said earlier, anyway, which of these can you recommend?"

"Every girl suits a particular type of dress. You'd have to describe this girl to me. How does she look like? What color is her eyes and hair? How would you describe her skin tone? What size is she? You have to include her personality, too," she said.

"She's quiet, cries a lot, a bit strange and is easily vulnerable. Most of the time, she looks sad. Sad light blue eyes, soft black hair, her skin's sort of pallid. I don't know about her size but she's getting thinner. She could fit easily in my arms...Probably size 5," he said casually.

"She sounds sweet but unhealthy. You should tell her to eat more and get more sun exposure. I know it's none of my business but if she's sad, then you should show her how much you love her. All it takes is a little love to take away one's daily troubles. Now come on, I've got the perfect dress to show you!" He was about to follow her when he caught sight of a clothing display. In his mind, he thought that it was perfect for Amaya.

Inside the bathroom, Amaya carefully pulled out the contents of the bag. First, she pulled a packet of white panties. She blushed but thought that it made sense. After all, she needed more than one pair on this trip. Secondly, she pulled out a long white silky tunic that reached to the middle of her thighs then a transparent lavendar shirt. The lavender shirt was supposed to be worn over the white tunic. It has holes that were supposed to represent petals and the middle of flowers. Thirdly, she pulled out a small black purse with colorful flowers embroidered around the top and a purple hairbrush. _Everything's so pretty. _She held the silky fabric of the tunic close to her face. _The fabric feels so nice. _

"She gave me a smile. Does that mean that she forgives me for yesterday?" Malik whispered to himself. Then he laughed at his own foolishness. _Of course, she'll pretend to forgive me. Like the way I'm using her, she's using me to go back to Kaiba. We're both using each other; it's a trade. That way, we wouldn't owe each other in the end. Now that I think about it, when she first saw me, she was afraid. Then she smiled at me. A fake smile. Of course, I would expect that. I-or rather-the other me was trying to take advantage of her. Deep down, she hates me but she couldn't pretend to be truly mad at me or I probably won't help her get her memories back. _

"Malik-sama, I'm finished!" Amaya said loudly. "Sorry for making you go out so early in the morning. The outfit that I chose wasn't good enough so you bought me another one? Thank you! This is really pretty!" She twirled around to show him that she liked it. Her black hair was neatly brushed and tied back into a half ponytail; the remaining strands were dangling over her shoulders. Her hair was slowly growing out, he noticed. Even though, he knew that Amaya wasn't in love with him, he couldn't help but get attached to her. While she was still showing off her new outfit, he hugged her tightly from behind. _I think I'm feeling something for her...Something that I can't express in words. _Amaya's promise to herself was being kept as she let her inner self die little by little by not expressing her true feelings. She just stood still while he held onto her; staring in nothingness. _I won't hurt myself anymore. Seto Kaiba is the only one for me. Yes...The one who's probably still waiting for me to jump into his arms and kiss him. _Like she promised herself, she ignored all her tears. Her tears fell silently to the floor.

"Okay! Should we go now, Malik-sama?" She said nonchalantly. It was a cold thing to do; to break up a warm moment between the two. Almost as if she didn't care. In both of their hearts, they were crying deep inside. Only Amaya was the one, who was crying on the outside, too, but Malik was a different story. He breathed in her scent and enjoyed being this close to her. Amaya failed to feel his heart beating faster on her back. To him, she was so beautiful.

_If she's so beautiful, then why not just take her right here and now? Think of how angry Kaiba could be if he was to find out that his girlfriend's been touched by someone else...There _is_ a bed right there. _Amaya noticed that Malik's hug was tighter. He looked like he was suffering from a headache. "Malik-sama! Are you all right? You don't like well," Amaya said, bursting out of his arms. "You should sit down." She held to his arm and guided him to a chair.

_He's trying to come out. If I stay here too long without Rishid close, I won't be able to control him. _"I'm fine! Let go of me, incompetent servant!" He said, snatching his arm back. Amaya fell back to the floor in surprise. That was a strange and sudden change in attitude. Abruptly, he stood up from the chair.

"Look, from now on, you're to call me Namu-kun whenever we're around the Pharaoh and his friends. We're going to meet Rishid at the stadium. He'll be posing as me so don't act like you're familiar with him. You and I are to blend with the rest of the group, understand?" He looked down to see her nodding. "Good, let's go now," he said and stood up. _Playing the "I don't care about you" game? Do you really think that she'll be safe from you this way?_

Amaya got to her feet and followed, grabbing her belongings on the way.

An hour passed as Malik and Amaya entered the secret location of eight finalists; the stadium where Malik's nemesis, Yugi other side was and the other finalists like Kaiba would be. Amaya's heart pounded rapidly with each step she took. Her arm was clutching tightly onto Malik's. _I'm nervous to see him. If I see him, will my memories rush into my head? Will Kaiba remember me all this time? What if he doesn't care about me anymore? I have to stop thinking so negatively. _The 'Pharaoh' as Malik would refer to him as came into view as the two walked closer. Amaya's face lit up as soon as she saw Shizuka. _Shi-chan's bandages are off! It means she can see me now! I'm so happy for her! And there's Honda-san! _

"Namu-kun, you made it to the finals!" Jounouchi said to Malik.

Then he spotted Amaya. "And this must be your girlfriend. Hey, what's up? My name's Jounouchi Katsuya."

"Konnichiwa. My name is Amaya," she said, smiling. A spark of recognition lit up in Shizuka's green eyes. She could remember that voice from anywhere. "Amaya-san!" She exclaimed and hugged Amaya. The latter returned the gesture and smiled happily. "I'm so glad to see you again!" Shizuka said.

Jounouchi looked at them with a confused expression. "You two know each other?" Shizuka nodded.

"Ah! Amaya-san, let me introduce you to my brother's friends. You already know Honda-kun. There's Mazaki Anzu, Motou Yugi, Ryuuji Otogi and Kajuku Mai." Amaya bowed to every one that Shizuka mentioned. "I guess it's my turn now. This is my boyfriend, Namu. You can just call him Namu-kun."

After the two finalists arrived, which meant Ryou Bakura and Rishid (addressing himself as Malik), Ryou was also introduced to Amaya. (She thought that it was strange that he didn't seem to recognize her.) Rishid walked towards Amaya and the rest of them with a dangerous aura. Although, Jounouchi said vulgar things about him; Amaya just pretended to not know a thing about him. She pretended to be afraid of him and held tighter onto Malik. Suddenly, a spine-tingling feeling overtook Amaya's body. For the first time, she felt real fear. It was instilled into her. _Why am I feeling this way?_ While the others excluding Rishid chatted with each other, Amaya looked around the stadium. She could feel someone watching her.

_That boy is waving at me. _A boy with long black hair was waving feverishly at her with a smile on his face. He seemed to be thrilled at her presence. Amaya started to give him a friendly smile when she saw the taller teenager right next to the boy. The brown-haired young man was looking intently at her. Amaya fidgeted under the young man's stare; he was making her feel uncomfortable. When she looked up again, he was already walking down from the row of stands. Maybe she had imagined it but he had a sad expression. As he approached the finalists, his expression was replaced by a stoic expression. _Is this where the finalists going to be dueling? _Amaya thought as she looked around the stadium. The stands were completely empty.

Kaiba started to tell the finalists about the real location of their final duels. Amaya didn't notice that he was looking at her but Malik did. To spite Kaiba, he snaked his arm around his waist and pulled her closer. Amaya let out a surprised cry at the sudden action. She gave him a questionable look when she caught Kaiba looking in their direction. He quickly looked away and looked up. A huge blimp with the logo KC in the middle started to descend from the dark night sky. "Wow..." Amaya marveled.

_That girl looks just like Amaya but she didn't recognize me. She's with another guy. Is she truly Amaya and if it was, why didn't she greet me? Amaya has been missing for months. Finally I see someone that looks exactly like her, it might not be her. _

As the finalists were getting onto the blimp, Amaya pulled Malik aside, far from earshot. "Malik-sama," she whispered. "Kaiba was the one who was looking at me, right?"

"Correct," he said, nodding. "But you wouldn't leave me without completing your task, would you?" He cornered her to a wall, his arms were blocking her from escaping. She shook her head. "No, I wouldn't. I promised to do everything you say," Amaya said.

"Good. Let's go before they suspect something," Malik said.

A/N: In case, people got confused, the part when Malik hugged Amaya from behind. Even though, she told herself to dump all feelings for him and just do whatever he says to get to Kaiba. She was still crying on the outside. It meant that she was pushing all feelings to the deepest depths of her heart but her subconsciousness couldn't help but release her sadness.

**Cat (:** Yes, Amaya got impregnanted when she was thirteen years old. How I got to think about the plot was that I was thinking about writing a MalikxOC romance and a strange one at that. So that's how I came up with the part about crossdressing. At first, I already thought of a good story for a Malik romance. I thought that the story was so beautiful that I wanted to improve my writing before I wrote it. I wanted to be able to create beautiful imagery throughout the story and weave some of my beliefs about love. Because the before mentioned story was about angsty love and it was my attempt to be a little bit more original in storytelling; AMS (Aishiteru, Malik-sama) was born. I feel proud about this story b/c this was the first story that I was able to write 'love' scenes. It's also my first story with corrupted love, abuse, attempted rape and other things. As for all the men in her life, I'd say that Hoshi did care for Amaya but he went crazy with jealousy when she started dating someone. Her father is also one of the men in her life (not in that way), he is an important addition to this story but he's very caring for Amaya, too.

**Josephine Jekyl: **I love this story too much to give it up. This is going to be the first story that I finished on FF. So you don't have to worry about that. Some of her dreams or nightmares are either foreshadowing or just to haunt her in her sleep; to make her feel down. Especially the part about the strange person telling her that she 'killed her baby'. As for Malik's darkside, you'll just have to find out later on.

**Kyte:** I bet you were surprised that Malik and Amaya didn't really...Well, you know. The fact of it is that I don't write lemon. So don't even give a second thought to it.

**Solitudity**: Yes, I hope I can finish it soon, too. I love this story but it's driving me crazy that I can't write other stories until I finish this one. Unfortunetly, Malik and Amaya was getting along then that had to happen. Now Amaya wants her real boyfriend than Malik.

**Cataracta: **I'd have to agree with you. Happy stories do annoy me sometimes but I have a soft spot for kiddie stories. lol I guess you just have to pick just the right kind of happy stories. I mean, I don't like every single dark story. Anyway, thanks for reviewing.

**Wild Darkside:** First of all, thank you for giving me a great review. I'm glad that you understand about the usual complaint that most authors on this site have. I'll have to read some of your stories sometime. Anyway, the development between Malik and Amaya was slow but eventually, it builds up and is knocked down again. Thanks to Malik's darkside.


	18. First Meeting and Troubled

**A/N: This first segment of this chapter is about the first time when Amaya met Kaiba and the second segment is what's happening on the airship. **

Chapter 17: The First Meeting/Troubled

Name Guide: Japanese/English

Anzu Mazaki/Tea

Jounouchi Katsuya/Joey

Ryou Bakura/Bakura

Otogi Ryuuji/Duke

Mai Kujaku/ Mai Valentine

The Past: The First Meeting

"He had no right to do that! He pisses me off!" Amaya pouted and crossed her arms in an annoyed manner. Her mom just put a hand on her shoulder to calm her daughter down. It was a rarity to see Amaya this angry and it was caused by one person. "You're lucky if he doesn't fire your dad, Amaya-chan. You shouldn't have yelled at him like that. He's probably going to give your dad a hard time about it," Mrs. Akimoto said seriously. The Akimoto family was a middle-class family but only because of Mr. Akimoto's hard work at KaibaCorp.

"Dad should just quit then. He should work for someone a little nicer. I mean, today was your birthday and he didn't let dad go to lunch with us! That's not fair of him!" Amaya said angrily. Mrs. Akimoto just shook her head and clucked her tongue. "Amaya, you can't expect to meet nice people all your life. There will always be someone like Kaiba but you can't let him or her get to you. As for my birthday celebration, it's fine, we'll just wait until he gets home and have a birthday dinner. So you should stop being mad and think about what you'll say when you apologize to him."

"What? I'm not apologizing to that jerk! He deserved it!" Amaya said stubbornly. She was still annoyed at his rude response. _What kind of person says that stuff?_

It was already ten o'clock at night. Since it was a Saturday night, Amaya wouldn't have to go to school tomorrow so she waited up for her dad with her mom. An hour later, Amaya's dad entered the living room with a weary look on his face. Amaya was sitting the couch, mentally debating whether or not she should apologize to him right now. What if he was mad at her? Mrs. Akimoto rose up from the couch and greeted him. He smiled and hugged her. Amaya sat on the couch with a guilty look on her face. _Maybe I should apologize to Kaiba. Even if I don't want to._

"Happy Birthday, dear," Mr. Akimoto said to his wife. He gave her a kiss before pulling a small wrapped present. Judging by the size of it, it was a jewelry box. Mrs. Akimoto unwrapped and opened the small box to discover its wonderful contents; a pair of pearl earrings. While she hugged her husband for the gift, Amaya made the decision to start writing an apology letter after dinner.

"Thank you, koishii! They're beautiful," Mrs. Akimoto said. "Now come into the dining room, Amaya and the maids prepared a dinner for us."

"**Amaya**," Mr. Akimoto said sternly when Amaya tried to sneak away from them. She turned around and giggled nervously.

"Yes, daddy?" She said sweetly.

"Come here," he said. She complied with his request and let out a sigh while she walked closer to him.

"Amaya, how could you yell at my boss?" He asked wearily. Amaya looked down in shame. She nervously jabbed her toe into the carpet. "You're lucky that he didn't decide to fire me on the spot. Do you know who he is?"

"It's common knowledge who he is," Amaya muttered. "I'm sorry, dad. I just thought that he was being unfair."

"Even if he was, so what? He's always been like that. Don't challenge him. All the toughest businessmen have trifled with him and they've all lost important things. What makes you think that you're any different? You're just one of his employee's daughter," he said.

"I know, I know," she muttered again.

"Amaya, I know that you cared enough for your mom to try to right a wrong but next time, control yourself. Okay?" He said before going to the dining room. Mrs. Akimoto followed after him leaving Amaya to stand alone. She looked at the spot where her dad was just standing. _He wasn't mad but he sounded so tired. Dad's getting old and I'm not making it any easier for him. I should be grateful for Kaiba, I guess, he is the one who gives dad a paycheck. _

The next day, it was Mr. Akimoto's rare day off so he decided to spend it with his family. "Where are you going, Amaya?" Mr. Akimoto asked Amaya, who was getting ready to head out the door. It was only nine o'clock in the morning. Amaya was wearing a navy blue sweatshirt with light pink flowers across her chest and a black skirt. Her black hair was pulled into a single braid draped over her shoulder. Loose hair strands framed her innocent but nervous face. "Don't worry, dad. I'll be back soon. I just have to do something at Miiko's. It's an important project for school." Amaya was lying through her teeth. She was really going to KaibaCorp to give Kaiba an apology letter. It was true that Amaya was still mad at him but she had to swallow her pride for the sake of her family. Her dad had been working at that company for a couple of years. If Kaiba did decide to fire her dad, he would be so crushed. He had always dreamed of moving up in the company. Amaya couldn't bear the thought if she was the reason for having him fired.

"All right. Go ahead but come home by twelve, I'm taking you and your mom out to lunch," Mr. Akimoto said, peering at her over the top of the newspaper.

"No problem!" Amaya said, bolting out of the front door. Then when she thought of seeing Kaiba again, she began to dread the visit and walked slower. _Ugh! I don't want to do this but I have to! I should've asked Miiko to come with me so I wouldn't have to be so nervous._ Her dislike for Kaiba made the walk to KaibaCorp an unbearable trip. _He's just so mean. I envy dad for having put up with him all these years. If it were me, I'd probably quit in an instant. _She entered the huge building clutching the letter tightly in her hands. Yesterday was the first time that she ever been to the company but she had only gone to her dad's office. She didn't have a clue where Kaiba's office was. _Maybe I should just ask one of these people. _There were plenty of people clicking away at computers and walking around with stacks of papers in their arms. She tried to look for the one that wasn't so busy but the whole place was just bustling.

A familiar 'ding!' sound caught her attention. The elevator. She could just go to the level where her dad's office and ask the people, who works near her dad. Surely, they would know the location of their boss' office. Before she pressed a button, the up bottom glowed white before the elevator opened. Amaya waited until the most of the people got out before going in and pressing the tenth button. Ding. The elevator stopped at the second floor and opened its doors, two people got off and more people got in. When it stopped at the sixth floor, almost all of the people got off except for six men in dark or gray suits. Amaya was closest to the back wall of the elevator and behind the tallest of the six men. She was so bored that she was listening in the men's conversation about going out for drinks that she didn't notice when a brown-haired sixteen-year-old got on.

It wasn't until the six men greeted the young man in unison that she noticed. Kaiba muttered back the greeting. None of the seven even noticed Amaya, who was trying to shift her body so that she could hide herself fully. She had to give him the letter but her lack of courage was keeping her from the goal. Her heart was pounding out of fear. What if he ripped the letter in her face and told her that he would fire her dad? They say that Seto Kaiba is a ruthless person so would a simple letter fix anything? After all, Amaya did say some things that probably did hurt his pride. She peered from behind the tall man to look at the back of Kaiba's head. One of the men in suits finally noticed the strange girl.

"Excuse me, young lady," the man said, tapping Amaya on the shoulder. His acquaintances turned around to see whom he was referring to. Kaiba also turned around to look. He was surprised at the presence of the girl. He never thought that she would come back after what she did.

"Oh, I remember you. You're Akimoto's little girl, Amaya. What are you doing in a big place like this?" One of the men said with a friendly smile on his face. It was Ogasa, one of Mr. Akimoto's good friends. He was an old balding man with a few grey hairs on the sides of his head. When she was a little girl, Amaya used to refer to him as "Bald Santa Claus". He used to play Old Saint Nick for Amaya when she suspected that Santa Claus was nothing but her dad in a false beard and a velvet red suit. Her dad called Ogasa for a favor, which was to dress up as Santa and appear before Amaya while her parents was with her.

"..." Amaya couldn't say anything. _Come on! Do this for dad or he'll get fired! _"Uh-um. I need to talk to Mr. Kaiba. It's important and it can't wait!" There she said it.

Ogasa grabbed Amaya by her shoulders and shoved her in front of Kaiba. "There you go, little girl. Now what would you like to say to Mr. Kaiba?" He said to her as if she was a child. She mentally sighed. Ogasa has always treated her like a spoiled five-year-old granddaughter. He still couldn't see that she was already thirteen.

"Uh...Could I just talk to Kaiba-san alone?" Amaya asked. The elevator opened for the twentieth floor and Kaiba stepped off. "Wait! Kaiba-san!" She followed the young CEO, who seemed to be ignoring her. Ogasa was smiling at the girl before the elevator doors closed. He was walking faster as they came to a large corridor. "Wait!" Amaya cried desperately. He still wouldn't listen and kept walking to his office. She had to run just to keep up with him. Finally, she clutched onto the fabric of his navy blue jacket.

"What the hell are you doing back here!" He snapped. "Did you come back to insult me some more? Not satisfied that you called me those names yesterday? Have you come to tell me more about my cruel self? "

"No, no! I just wanted to give you something." Amaya extended both of her hands to show him the letter. _I should've bought him a gift instead of just giving him the letter alone. I'm so stupid! _He took the letter from her and she watched him, afraid that he really was going to rip it up. Surprisingly, he took the letter gingerly from the envelope and unfolded it. She was nervous as his blue eyes scanned the letter. She had spent the whole night trying to write a letter that was suitable for someone like him. She had leafed through various dictionaries, trying to find the appropriate words that sounded businesslike. She had crumpled more than ten pages of paper. She tried to hand write it then resorted to typing the letter. She remembered that her dad said that Kaiba was obsessed with computers. Maybe if she typed the letter, he would think that she loved computers as much as he did. Then she discovered that if she typed the letter, it didn't seem like she meant the apology. So she handwrote it again in blue ink but more neatly than she had done in previous drafts. She was desperate to undo what she did.

"Did you really think that this letter would get me to forget about everything? To forgive you?" He said mockingly. Amaya blushed out of embarrassment and anger. She looked down at the ground before saying no. "Your father is an intelligent man yet you," Kaiba said, lifting her chin with his finger. "are an unwise girl. He knows how to act around important people but you think that people will find you cute so they'll let you slide by with whatever childish thing you do." That was the last straw. She pushed him away and glared at him.

"If you don't forgive me, then fine! You don't have to say something rude!" Amaya snatched the letter from him and ripped it up. The shredded pieces of the letter littered the marble floor. "There! Are you happy now? It took me four hours to write a perfect letter for you! Now my dad's going to hate me!" Kaiba could see tears glittering in the corners of her eyes. Amaya ran to the elevator, wiping her eyes roughly with her sleeve. She didn't want her dad to see that she had been crying. He would be suspicious and figure out that she wasn't working on a project.

"Cute girl," Kaiba said, smirking. He pocketed the envelope and proceeded to walk to his office. His young secretary handed him important documents and his mail.

"Was there anything else you needed, Kaiba-sama?" The secretary asked.

"Yes. Order some flowers: one bouquet of different flowers and another bouquet of red roses. Have the first one addressed to Akimoto's wife and the bouquet of roses to Amaya Akimoto. Have the flowers delivered here before the Akimoto house," he said, looking through his mail. "Then make a reservation for two at that new French restaurant."

"Yes, Kaiba-sama. I'll take care of it right away," she said, picking up the phone.

The Present: Troubled

"So Amaya, have you and Malik-sama gotten closer while you two were alone together?" Rishid asked. Amaya excused herself from the rest of the gang earlier, saying that she wasn't feeling well so that she could sneak away and talk to Rishid. The two of them were residing in his room with Amaya sitting on the carpeted floor across from Rishid. "Yes, I've gotten a bit more comfortable with Malik-sama." She left out the part about what happened yesterday. She didn't want to remember that again. "So you're pretending to be Malik-sama. That's clever since they've never seen his face yet." She was silent again. There was nothing much to be said. She didn't want to fall apart anymore though her emotions were confusing her. Earlier when she boarded the airship, she caught Kaiba staring at her then look away again. One part of her wanted to run to his arms yet another part of her wanted to be next to Malik.

"You seem troubled. Something wrong, Amaya?" Rishid asked. Amaya shook her head and replaced her sad face with a smile. She didn't want to worry him. After all, he had more important things to worry about than her. Amaya stood up and bid him good luck before exiting the room.

"Before you go out, make sure that no one is around to see you. You don't want the others to think that you're siding with me, right?" Rishid said. Amaya nodded and did as he said. She opened the door just a crack and peered through it. There was no one there. Most of them were probably celebrating their getting to be in the finals. Amaya was invited to go to Jounouchi's room by Shizuka to do just that. Mainly, Shizuka just wanted to talk with Amaya more. 'Namu' was also invited but he declined and went to his own room; he whispered for Amaya to do so soon. As if it wasn't enough that he almost raped her, they were going to stay in the same room together.

Amaya started to go down the dark hallway to his room. The moon and stars were already out. There was a breeze that blew strands of Amaya's black hair across her face. Her fingers pushed them back behind her ears when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Did she really want to go see him? Would he do what he tried to do yesterday? Did she really want to force her tears back again? Maybe if she just decided to stay in Egypt instead. Would her real parents have come back for her, meaning that she wouldn't have had to suffer all this pain? Just to get her memories back? Was this really all worth it? She turned from the direction of his room to the top of the airship. She wasn't aware that she was doing so until she reached her destination.

As Amaya reached the top, she saw someone's silhouette leaning against the rail. Somebody was already there before her. _Who could that be? I thought everybody else was in Jounouchi's room. _As she approached the figure, the person turned out to be Yugi. "Oh, it's you, Motou-san. Are you looking at the stars, too?" She said, leaning her arms on the railing and standing next to him. _Is it just the lack of light or does Motou-san look so much taller now? _

"Yes, they look especially beautiful tonight. Don't you think so, Amaya-san?" He said with a different voice. _His voice even sounds different at night..._

"It's because we can see them closer. The higher this thing goes, the more we can see them bigger and clearly. Motou-san, do you believe that when you make a wish upon a falling star, it'll really come true?" Amaya asked. One by one stars resembling a woman's head with long hair descended upon the earth. It was showering bright firey lights. Beautiful wasn't enough of a word to describe the scene before them.

"Many cultures believe that stars hold special powers so it could be possible. Try it and make a wish on the next falling star," He said. She shook her head and leaned back against the railing. "I'm afraid that if I make the same wish for every time more of these stars fall, it won't come true. Then I'd be unhappy thinking about how pathetic I am that even my wish won't come true. I'm already pathetic enough," Amaya moaned forlornly.

"You? I don't believe it. I'm probably more pathetic than you are." Amaya just shook her head stubbornly at him.

"No, you're not," she said, childishly. "I don't understand how you're pathetic when you're the King of Games. From what I heard about you, you're famous and great at games. You're able to think yourself out of tough situations. And me? I have nothing great to offer. I'm just ordinary Amaya. No, I'm less than ordinary. I'm just pathetic Amaya. I don't remember much about my past except for one bad memory but I don't know my age or even my last name. Do you still think you're more pathetic than me?" Amaya said defensively. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. When she realized it, she gave an exasperated sigh and wiped furiously at her tear-stained face. "I can't believe I'm crying again. I hate myself."

"Here, wipe your tears with this," Yugi's other side said. He handed her a white napkin.

"Thank you," she said with a quivering voice. "Please don't tell anyone else what I told you. I just don't want anyone to feel sorry for me." Under the moon's light, Amaya could see his lips curve into a gentle smile and say, "Your secret's safe with me. But I'll leave you with some words of advice: first of all, you shouldn't hate yourself for what you can't help. If you lost your memory, then you'll slowly regain it someday. For your information, I also don't remember anything about myself. I don't remember my real name-" Then he realized what he was saying. "I meant that I don't remember some stuff in the past like what happened in my childhood and so on! So I understand what you're going through. It is tough to not know much about your past because it's what shapes your personality." He chuckled nervously, hoping that Amaya was buying what he was saying.

She smiled lightly. "You made me feel better. Thank you, Motou-san," Amaya said.

"Believe it or not, you just made me feel better, too. So from now on, just call me Yugi. It looks like it's getting late so I'm heading to bed. Good night," he said, smiling at her before walking away.

"Good night...Yugi-kun," Amaya whispered. She wrapped her arms around herself and rapidly rubbed her arms. The light fabric of her clothes was no match for the wind. _I should go to sleep, too. There's a long day of watching duels tomorrow._

A/N: Not much on Malik in this chapter but at least, all of you know more about Amaya's past. Now I hope that people will understand why Amaya's dad made an appearance before this chapter. Next chapter is the beginning of more troubles between Amaya and Malik. Thank you to all the reviewers.


	19. Jealousy

**Important author's note: The first segment of the previous chapter was only a memory that the reader could see. Amaya wasn't the one who was seeing that memory. **Sorry I was a little bit long with this update. I had trouble with this chapter b/c I thought I was going to add the Yami and Bakura duel along with the Jounouchi and Rishid duel then Yami Malik would come out. But I thought that Malik and Amaya needed more development between them so I'll leave the duels for next chapter.

Chapter 18: Jealousy

Across the sky, the sun could be seen waking up from its slumber. The early wake up calls of birds woke up Amaya, who wasn't that tired in the first place. She was sitting upright in the bed that she had to share with Malik. She had to admit it wasn't so bad; he didn't try anything. He was already asleep when she went to his room after the little talk with Yugi. Although, all throughout the whole night, Malik's arm accidentally snaked itself around her waist and pulled her close to him. He muttered a few words then would try to roll over almost landing on top of her. Amaya managed to avoid that by rolling him over to the opposite direction. Maybe it was her imagination but there were times that Amaya could've sworn that he was mumbling her name. Then again, it could be anything that he was dreaming of.

"I wonder if Malik-sama was waiting up for me," Amaya whispered to herself. She remembered how he looked when she came into the room; he was leaning forward and sitting on the foot of the bed. His eyes were closed while his chin was leaning on the back of his hand. Amaya thought he was deep in thought but when his hand slipped, his whole body almost fell to the floor. She caught him before he could and placed him on the bed. She whispered an apology to him but he didn't answer. Instead, he just rolled over and clutched the blanket protectively. The memory was quite humorous; he looked cute like a small child clutching a stuffed animal.

She leaned her head on the headboard and sighed. The scenery outside the circular window caught her attention. The color of salmon and orange painted the sky. Nature's wonders can be quite beautiful even if one is going through difficult times. A light smile touched her lips followed by a fresh tear. Her sky-blue eyes widened in shock at the tear in the palm of her hand. _I'm crying over nothing...I wasn't thinking of anything... Wait. I was thinking of something. I was thinking of not seeing Malik-sama again. After all this happens, I'll be with my boyfriend, right? Then what? I won't see Rishid-san or Malik-sama again. They'll go back to Egypt and probably forget all about me. This is confusing. I thought that I want to be with Kaiba and my family but when I think of never seeing those two again..._More tears landed on the blue pillow. Amaya covered her mouth to restrain her sobbing from getting too loud. Malik shifted on his side and rolled over, facing Amaya. _This is insane. How could I miss a molester? I feel angry with him and I feel another emotion. I don't know what it is; it's just a strange feeling._

Her hand slowly reached over to his peaceful face. She nervously gulped as her fingertips touched his platinum hair. He just shifted but didn't open his eyes, much to her relief. Her shaking hand was moving down to his forehead to the bridge of his nose and down to his lips, before settling her on the side of his face. He started to mumble again, scaring Amaya. She quickly brought her hand away. _You scared me, Malik-sama! You're a confusing person, you know that? First, you're nice to me, then you're mean to me and then you're lewd to me. What am I to you exactly? _Amaya wiped away the tear that landed on his forehead with her finger. _Forget it. This is too much to deal with. **"Please stop it. Stop falling for him. It's only going to hurt you and me...I can't stand anymore hurt!" **_She gasped and looked at Malik's slumbering face, by now, she was crying twice as much. _She was right...My reflection was right. Falling for him is hurting me. _She couldn't stop them anymore; the tears that she promised to stop shedding.

A knock sounded at the door. Amaya got up from the bed to answer the door. Amaya opened the door a crack to see Shizuka standing there. She opened the door wider and greeted the auburn-haired girl. "Good morning to you, too, Amaya-san," Shizuka returned the greeting. "Uh-I just wanted to ask if-Amaya-san!" She had noticed Amaya's wet cheeks glistening in the early sunlight. "Have you been crying?" Amaya touched her face and realized that she didn't wipe the tears away.

"Yeah, I was crying but it was for a stupid reason!" Amaya sniffled. She smiled at Shizuka's worried face. "Really. I was just thinking of a sad show that I used to watch and I just started to cry...It's stupid, I know but I can't help it." Amaya lied. "Anyway, what did you want again?"

"Oh, yeah, I wanted to ask if you wanted to have breakfast with us. They also wanted Namu-kun to come but I guess that he's still tired." Shizuka glanced at the sleeping lump on the bed. "Don't worry, though, Kaiba-san isn't there," Shizuka said quickly.

"Why would you think I'm worried about Kaiba-san?" Amaya asked.

"I just thought you'd be uncomfortable. I don't know if it's my imagination but he sneaks looks at you a lot. I'm probably the only one who's noticed although I think your boyfriend knows, too. That's why he was holding onto you yesterday, right? Or maybe that was just because he's just trying to show the other guys that you're his. He never left your side once except to go to his room. I think that's cute!" Shizuka said shrilly. Amaya turned redder at every comment that Shizuka threw at her.

"Shizuka, Shizuka! Let's go already! Your friends are probably waiting for us and we're being rude! Let's go!" Amaya said loudly and pushed Shizuka in front of her. "Come on, can't keep your friends waiting!" She laughed nervously. She closed the door lightly before following Shizuka to Jounouchi's room. She made sure to rub any signs of sadness from her eyes. "Good morning, minna-san (everybody)," she said, taking place near Shizuka on the floor. The others said their good mornings and asked her some general questions about herself. They offered her food like some toast, pancakes, bagels, eggs and strips of bacon. She just took one toast without biting it as she was deep in thought. She didn't notice that she was ripping pieces of the toast, placing them on her plate and twirling them around with her finger. While Shizuka was striking up a conversation with Amaya, the latter just thought about Shizuka's words. _"He never left your side once except to go to his room." _

"Amaya-san!" Amaya snapped back into reality. Shizuka looked at her with worry in her eyes. "Are you okay? You've been quiet and you aren't eating." Amaya just nodded her head while popping the toast pieces into her mouth.

"I'm fine. Sorry I was just thinking of something," she said, swallowing the last dry piece of toast. "Thank you," Amaya said when Shizuka handed her a glass of orange juice. She declined another helping of toast; she already felt full. She couldn't eat anymore because of the guilt and the toast already settling into her stomach. It dawned on her that while these people were being so nice to her, Amaya was technically siding with the enemy. It made her feel like she was also their enemy. She was also thinking about him...

In his room, Malik rolled over once more, his arm landing on Amaya's side of the bed. Malik opened his eyes and squinted at the opposite side of the bed. Empty. Completely empty. She wasn't there again. _She didn't come back yesterday and she's still out. She's completely defying my order! _Yesterday, he was waiting up for her, convinced that she was just getting herself acquainted with the others. After an hour, she still wasn't back yet so he decided to go out and search for her. The first places that he checked were Yugi's and his friends' rooms to see if she was in one of them. Their rooms were empty except for Jounouchi, Mai, Rishid and 'Ryou' (really Bakura). He checked Jounouchi's room; Shizuka told him that Amaya had already left. He reasoned with himself that he should've check in Rishid's room first. Rishid told him that Amaya already left fifteen minutes ago. The annoyed Malik finally checked with Bakura, just in case, she had an urge to talk to him.

"I don't know," Bakura said, leaning against the doorframe. "Why don't you go up on the roof and look at the stars? I guarantee you won't be disappointed." He said before laughing and closing his door. Malik decided to follow his advice and go up to the roof. The suspicious look on Bakura's face made Malik wonder if he knew something important. As soon as Malik walked up there, he saw two people talking to each other under the silver illumination of the moon. He could see the familiar silhouettes of two people, one that looked like Amaya and one that had a strange hairstyle, like the Pharaoh. Malik hid behind the closest wall and peeked at them. He saw that Amaya was starting to cry and his enemy handing her a tissue! Malik gritted his teeth; his hands were tightening into fists. Amaya accepted the tissue and smiled at him, his greatest nemesis! His face was visibly turning red before he stormed back to his room. He planned to wait up for her but fell asleep within an instant.

"Could she be staying in his room?" Malik questioned no one in particular. _Was she with him all night? He better not have done something to her! _Before he knew it, Malik shoved the blanket aside and stood up to get his shoes.

Meanwhile at Jounouchi's room, Amaya was getting ready to leave Shizuka and the others with a plate in her hand; she was planning to bring her 'beloved boyfriend' some bagels, toast, eggs and a stack of pancakes. Besides his usual Egyptian dishes, Amaya didn't know which other foods he might like so she took all of them except for bacon. Her new friends allowed her to do that since they weren't that hungry anymore (besides Jounouchi, but they decided that he had enough already). _I wonder if Malik-sama is even awake yet. _

"Amaya-san!" Shizuka yelled in Amaya's ear, causing the latter to scream in surprise. Shizuka apologized with a smile on her face. She looked at Amaya as if she knew a secret. "Amaya-san, I get why you're so distant. It's because you're thinking of Namu-kun, right?" Amaya looked at Shizuka with a blush spreading across her face but denied the accusation. "Yes, you are! You're blushing!" She pointed out Amaya's red face.

"Shh! Keep it down! I don't want the others to hear. It's embarrassing!" Amaya whispered quickly, covering the auburn-haired girl's mouth. The two girls that were at the doorway looked into the room see if the others were paying attention to them. Fortunately, most of them were too wrapped in the upcoming competition coming up later in the afternoon. "Anyway, I have to go. He might be mad if I don't go back quickly. See you guys later this afternoon."

_That was close! _Amaya sighed as she passed Rishid's room, glanced at it and moved on to the real Malik Ishtar's room. Once she faced the correct room, she opened the door and was holding the breakfast plate in another. "Ah...Mal-I mean, Namu, you scared me," she said when she came face-to-face with the annoyed Egyptian. Ironically, he opened the door just as she did at the same time. However, he had wanted to go to Yugi's room to get her back (that's where he thought that she was). In contrast to her smiling face, Malik was scowling at her, secretly thinking about what he should say now. He wanted to ask her about yesterday; why hadn't she come back to his room, where she had been last night and where was she this morning.

"Good morning, Malik-sama. Are you hungry right now?" Amaya asked.

"Where the hell were you last night and this morning!" He suddenly yelled. "Yesterday, I specifically remembered asking you to come to my room immediately." The sudden question had surprised Amaya, who had backed up against the closed door, holding shakingly onto the tray of his breakfast.

"I-I'm s-sorry, Malik-sama. I just wanted to go for a walk...The sta-stars were out yesterday. It was beautiful and I just wanted to enjoy it. I'm sorry if you waited long," Amaya said, looking down at the ground. "As an apology, I brought you breakfast." She looked up again and raised the tray to show him.

"I don't care about breakfast! Why the hell are you lying to me!" He yelled again, knocking the tray down, littering the floor with food. His expression more and more livid, an expression that Amaya was unfamiliar with. She had never really seen him this angry before; not even the time when he was boiling about the Pharaoh's victories against his Rarehunters.

"What do you me-" Before Amaya could finish her question, he had grabbed her by the shoulders and pressed his lips against hers. Amaya's eyes widened at the unexpected kiss. _One minute he's yelling at me then he's kissing me. What's going on?_ What exactly was she supposed to do in this situation? One thing that popped into her mind was that he was practicing kissing with her again. But the way that he was holding her seemed to convey a different idea...After regaining herself, Amaya pushed Malik away from her; blushing at the fact that he had almost stuck his tongue in and looking anywhere but him.

Malik breathed heavily as he refrained himself from jumping on her again and afraid to look at her in the face. The two of them stayed silent before Amaya spoke up, "I have to leave" and grabbed for the doorknob.

"Wait, Amaya!" He shouted her name, almost desperately. He had grabbed onto her other arm to stop her from leaving; Amaya continued to avoid his gaze, concentrating on the doorknob instead. "Where were you last night and this morning?" He asked, a little bit softer and unmistakingly gentler. "Don't tell me that you were really at-"

"I was here last night after you fell asleep. And this morning, I was still here this morning but I was invited to breakfast in Jounouchi-san's room. I didn't want to wake you up and I thought that you wouldn't mind so I went. I'm sorry if I was disobeying your orders," Amaya said quietly. Her hand was still on the doorknob while her other arm was in Malik's grip. _From the way that he just grabbed me then kissed me like that. Does that mean...that he was jealous? But of what?_

"That's a relief..." He whispered but Amaya had heard it. He had also let out a sigh of relief. What was all that supposed to mean?

"Your breakfast is ruined. I'll go get you another tray, Malik-sama," Amaya had excused herself but noticed that her arm still wasn't free. Malik was still holding onto it; in a firm but gentle way. Finally, she brought herself to look at him with a questionable look on her face. "Please..." She had a pleading look on her face now, pleading with him to let her go. Malik wasn't going to do such a thing. Instead, he had pushed her against the door, brushing her hair aside and tilted his head to lean into her. Amaya had turned her head just in time; his kiss landed on her cheek, not her lips. He leaned in and tried to kiss her again but Amaya had pushed him away; pleading with him to stop.

"You're angry at me, aren't you?" He said out of no where. Amaya denied the accusation, reaching for the doorknob once again, only to have Malik stop her again. "Answer me," he demanded, holding onto her shoulders. "Look at me!" Amaya obeyed his command and looked up at him, at his eyes, which she wanted to avoid. She tried to hide the truth by looking innocently at him as if asking him what he was talking about.

"You're angry with me for that time at the hotel, right?" He asked again.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Amaya said quietly, unconvincingly. She closed her eyes to avoid his accusing violet eyes. He was getting angry again. Malik grabbed her chin and demanded her to open her eyes.

"Please let go of me! I really don't know what you're talking about!" She said desperately, still forcing her eyes closed. She didn't want to see him. She just wanted to get away from him now.

"Open your eyes!" He was getting impatient with her. "And answer me already! Damn it!"

"LET ME GO!" Amaya couldn't take it anymore. She had succeeded in getting him to release her. Breathing heavily, she glared at Malik with tears flowing down her face. "Yes! I'm angry at you! I'm angry at you for thinking that you could do whatever you want with me! I might be your servant but I'm not your sex toy! I HATE YOU!" The three words had tumbled out of her mouth. Amaya looked shocked at her own courage. She never thought that she would actually tell him that. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she repeated, without anything else to say. Without thinking, she bolted out of the room without looking at him.

Malik was more or less shocked at what she had just said. He just stood there, staring at the spot where Amaya had been. Her words still rang in his head. **_"I HATE YOU!"_** Those words had a profound effect on him. People had hated him for his malicious actions especially Yami and his friends but they've never actually said the three words. What he didn't understand was that even if she had said those words with such hatred, she was also crying.

Amaya ran as far as her legs could carry her; she had passed by Rishid's room, where she probably could've got some comfort but it was Rishid, the one who also cared for Malik. Besides, she didn't want to bother him at the moment. She was always depending on him and this time, she'll just deal with it on her own. It seemed as though everybody was still in their rooms, preparing for their duels or talking about the upcoming duels. Nobody was in the hallways; nobody; she was basically all alone. She stopped running when she realized that Malik wasn't chasing her so she stopped and sat in a dark corner. Amaya buried her face in her arms and continued to sob quietly. _Why can't this be over already? I want it to be over. I want to go home. _

"Amaya-chan?" Someone called out her name. She didn't recognize the voice. Amaya looked up to see the little brother of Seto Kaiba looking curiously at her. The look of concern was etched across the younger Kaiba's face when he took a good look at her red face. "You're crying, Amaya-chan," he said, wiping one of her tears with his sleeve. "I don't have a handkerchief. Sorry." He said sincerely.

"That's all right. Um...Do I know you?" Amaya said, surprising Mokuba.

"Do you know me?" Mokuba repeated. "What do you mean, Amaya-chan? I'm Mokuba-kun, remember? My brother gave you this ri-" He grabbed her hand and examined her fingers then did the same thing with her other hand. "Where is it?" He asked, turning her hands front and back as if trying to see if he was missing something. "NO! It's you, isn't it, Amaya-chan? After searching all these months, it is you, right? You finally came back to us!" Mokuba said as though trying to cling onto a wonderful dream.

Amaya knew what he was talking about but even if she did hate him, she had promised to pretend to be Malik's girlfriend so she had to pretend she didn't know him, which was the truth. She knew that he was Seto Kaiba's brother but what was his name?

"I know! I'll bring you to nii-sama and he'll know whether it's really you or not!" With that, Mokuba grabbed her hand, beckoning her to follow him. Amaya's heart pounded with fear and excitement. _Oh, my god, I finally get to meet my boyfriend!_

**Deleted scenes or ideas**: (1) Originally, I wanted to kill off Amaya by the end of this fic but I figured that she's had a rough life and there's really no point in killing her. (2) I thought that it would've been cool to have Amaya have a crush on Yami while Kaiba and Malik were jealous but that was too much. (3) The alternative was that Amaya have a crush on Ryou and his yami would try to rape her. Then I thought that my story already had too many attempted rape already. (4) Then I wanted to write other couples like AnzuxYami, ShizukaxRyou or something like that but I thought that I wouldn't be able to concentrate on the main relationship between Malik, Amaya and Kaiba then. (5) Malik and Amaya would do it during Battle City, which I thought was stupid because Amaya was already afraid of Hoshi b/c he had wanted to rape her. So it would be irrational for her to even consider sex with Malik. (6) One of the Rarehunters try to rape Amaya and Malik saves her. Borderlines on cliched. (7) Hoshi bribes Amaya into becoming his girlfriend.

A/N: Thank you to all the reviewers for the hundredth review! You guys are the best!

**Cat (:** LOL! I didn't think that Kaiba was really that bad. I mean, he's done worse things than not letting someone get off work for a birthday. And no, Amaya didn't get that memory back. That was just for the purpose of showing readers how Amaya and Kaiba met.

**Cataracta:** Thanks for reviewing!

**DieHardREBEL**: Interesting comment. Once I thought about making a Kaiba and Amaya fanfic but then it was kind of stupid because I'm already going to be writing about what happened to them in _this_ story. I'm glad you liked the scene because I was so happy to be finally rid of it. Ever since last year, I had been thinking about how to write about their meeting and I finally perfected it and wrote it down.

**Josephine Jekyl**: I'm so glad you noticed that. When I thought about Amaya's situation, I was thinking "Hey, it sounds like what Yami is going through." So that's why I put that scene in and it was also a great way to see Malik get jealous, showing that he does like Amaya. Don't worry, you'll get to read about Kaiba and Amaya's relationship and I'm looking forward to your and readers' reactions to it.

**Shadowed Darkside**: Nope. In fact, the "memory" is only for the readers to see how the beginning of Kaiba and Amaya's "relationship" was. It was probably confusing because I didn't clarify it; sorry about that. When Kaiba refused to allow Amaya's dad to go out to lunch, I was just keeping him in character. Yeah, I thought that having Kaiba send her flowers would be a cute way to apologize and it's also for another purpose. Amaya is a sensible person so, of course, she would be thinking that she doesn't want to be close to Malik too much but she had to return to the room because she had no place else to sleep...So yeah. Btw, thanks for recommending all those fics for me!

**Solitudity:** I believe that you were the hundredth reviewer. Thank you so much! Not to be shallow or anything but I was really happy when this fic had its hundredth review. Like you, many readers feel bad for Amaya...which makes me so happy, too! Thank you for your review!


	20. Prelude to Awakening

A/N: First of all, I'd like to thank reviewers for last chapter's reviews and the one reviewer that I forgot to include in last chapter, missmanga90. Sorry about that, your review is equally important to me. Anyway, on to this chapter, the beginning delves into Malik's head and the rest of it, you'll have to read to find out.

Chapter 19: Prelude to Awakening

He was sitting on the foot of the bed, thinking about what he had just done and about what Amaya had just said. **_"I HATE YOU!"_ **The simple statement had wounded him so deeply. Finally, he knew her true feelings. But the truth hurts..."Amaya...What have I done?" Malik whispered, burying his face into his hands.

"Done what, Malik-sama?" A familiar and soothing voice asked. Looking up from his hands, Malik was surprised to see the dark-haired girl who was standing casually near the door. "Amaya...?" He said questionably. _Why would she come back after screaming that she hates me? _Amaya walked toward him with a pleasant expression until she was right in front of him. Malik slowly stood up from the bed with confusion etched all over his face and wondering why she was looking so relaxed. _She had been crying a minute ago; what happened to her?_

"I'm sorry for what I said, Malik-sama," she said, stepping closer to him until the gap between them closed. "The words just sort of fell...from my mouth. Did I hurt your feelings?" She whispered condescendingly in his ear, wrapping her arms around his neck. He could hear her inhale then exhale deeply as her head rested against his chest; it was as if she was trying to breathe in his scent. From his chest, Amaya raised her head and smiled gently at him.

"Then...you don't really hate me?" Malik said slowly. Amaya shook her head, "No, I really _do _hate you but it's okay, isn't it? I mean, we _are_ using each other for our own personal gains so it doesn't matter. You're using me to get some powerful card from my beau while I'm using you so I could get my memories back. It's a win-win situation." Amaya flashed him another smile, a mocking smile that showed that she didn't care about him. Malik was starting to get angry again, as he was when he saw the Pharaoh and Amaya alone.

"You lie...!" He suddenly yelled, his fingernails digging into her shoulders, holding her at arm's length. "Once you remember everything about your life, you'll leave me and return to your boyfriend. I won't be able to see you anymore and I certainly won't be able to stomach the thoughts of you being with Kaiba! I won't stand for it because-" Malik bit his bottom lip, thinking hard about his choice of wordings. _What do I say? _Amaya looked in his eyes with that same smile while waiting for him to finish. Her light-blue eyes had a slight dullness to them but-_What if Kaiba was standing in front of her right now? Would her eyes lit up with excitement? What if she actually had feelings for me, would she look at me the same way; with more expression in those eyes? _

"You want to say that you love me, don't you?" Amaya said at last. Malik opened his mouth to respond but there was nothing that he could say. He could've counteract her words with his harsh words though it looks like, this time she had the upperhand. She had said the magic words; the very words that could express his feelings. "You don't want me to go back to him, do you?" Amaya continued smoothly. "You just want me all for yourself."

He opened and closed his mouth again, tongue-tied. "I-" he managed to utter. Amaya put a finger to his lips before he could continue his sentence.

"Shh, it's okay," she said as if coaxing a fussy baby. Malik's hold on her shoulders had loosened. Amaya stood on tiptoe so she could reach her arms around his neck. Her face was so close that the tips of their noses were touching as she was inching closer and closer to his lips. Their lips clashed softly as Malik's arms slowly encircled around her waist. He closed his eyes to revel in this moment; Amaya's tongue was thrashing against his. She felt so warm...He wanted more of her warmth so he hugged her tighter.

Thoughts started to race in his mind. _It wasn't really me. I don't think of you that way. I wouldn't want to force you to do anything like that. If I told you, would you believe me? If you don't want to, I wouldn't do anything..._

"Stop it...That's enough," Amaya said, her hand pushing against his chest. "I love Kaiba, not you," Amaya whispered.

"I just feel sorry for you, that's why I'm letting you grope me now. You're really nothing compared to Kaiba. Let me go, Malik-sama. I'll never love you..." With each word coming from her mouth, Malik's hold increased.

"No, you're mine from now on," Malik whispered firmly into her ear. Amaya's hold was starting to loosen but Malik continued to hold her tighter.

The more he tried to keep her from escaping, the more it seemed like she was quickly slipping away. She kept whispering for him to let her go. In turn, he kept whispering "no" until Amaya's body started to slowly deteriorate into grains of sand. "Amaya!" He called out her name as he watched the last remaining grains of sand hit the floor in horror. Darkness shrouded his surroundings but he didn't notice, he just collapsed onto his knees and ran his fingers through the pile of sand that used to be Amaya. He failed to notice a full-length mirror behind him. As he slowly turned around, he saw Amaya smiling, a genuine smile that was directed towards Kaiba. In the mirror, Amaya was wearing a sundress. Although, that wasn't what Malik was concentrating on, it was her right hand that he was interested in.

The fingers of her right hand were intertwined with the fingers of Kaiba's left hand. Amaya's face was glowing with true happiness. Her cheeks had the rouge of her natural blush, her smile was enhancing her pretty features and her eyes had a deep and dreamy look to them. **_"...Every girl is at their most beautiful when they're in love."_** The saleswoman's voice repeated loudly in his mind. The blush, the smile and the dreamy eyes. Everything fitted like pieces of a puzzle. Amaya was in love with Kaiba; the one truth that Malik didn't want to acknowledge. Though the proof was right in front of his eyes: the way she smiled easily at him, the way she blushed when Kaiba pulled her closer, the way she shyly tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, just everything.

Malik staggered to his feet, sauntering to the bright mirror in front of him and pressing his palm against the smooth surface. He watched as Amaya broke her hand away from Kaiba's hand to cling onto his arm. She leaned against his arm since she couldn't reach his shoulder. They acted like a normal couple would; would Malik and Amaya ever have a chance of being a normal couple? He leaned his forehead on the glass, he wished that he could hold her hand like normal couples do. His hands touched Amaya's cool hands, correction, the reflection of Amaya's hands. He wanted to hold her warm hands. "How can one girl have so much affect on me?" He asked bitterly. In the darkness, he was experiencing a strange feeling; loneliness.

He was lonely. Sure he had his older and caring brother but there were times when he felt lonely. Even if Rishid was standing right in front of him following his instructions, Malik felt lonely. As he stood there watching Amaya happy with Kaiba, he realized just how lonely that made him feel. Would he feel this lonely once he becomes the new Pharaoh? If Amaya refused to be by his side, to be his queen, does defeating the 5,000 year-old spirit really matter anymore? After the death of his father, all he wanted was revenge from the Pharaoh, the one who was responsible for all the sadness in his life. From the Pharaoh's memories painfully carved into his back at a young age to the end of his father's life. Will he truly attain happiness and end all his lonely days with the high position of power? Or does he need Amaya?

"Smile at me. Look at me. Blush just for me. Acknowledge me," he whispered.

_**"...you and I are using each other for our own personal gains so it doesn't matter." **_

_**"Now that you got that out of your system, I bet you feel much better now."**_

_**"I love Kaiba, not you."**_

_**"I just feel sorry for you, that's why I'm letting you grope me now." **_

_**"You're really nothing compared to Kaiba."**_

_**"I'll never love you..." **_

"AGGHH! Shut the fuck up!" Malik yelled, covering his ears to rid of Amaya's hurtful remarks. He ran a hand on the smooth surface of the mirror, touching the spot where Amaya's face and traced his finger over her smiling mouth. "Acknowledge me. Acknowledge my feelings," Malik mumbled in his sleep.

Meanwhile, Amaya felt a jolt in her stomach as she followed Mokuba down a dim hall. According to him, the hall led to the main room of the airship where his older brother was. Her heart pounded nervously at the thought of meeting Kaiba but her thoughts also drifted to Malik. She wondered if he was actually affected by what she said; she didn't mean to say that. Now everything's going to be awkward around him. It was true that she hated him yet at the same time, she was feeling guilty for revealing her true feelings. That is, _if_ those were her true feelings. _Malik-sama...He's probably laughing at what just happened. Just the thought of that makes my heart break even though I'm supposed to hate him. Hate him but still have to follow his orders._

"I just know that you're Amaya-chan but while you were missing, a lot of girls claimed to be you. Momochi-san could tell that none of those imposters were you. If you don't remember me, you at least remember Miiko Momochi, right? Your bestfriend?" Mokuba asked hopefully. Amaya bit her bottom lip in frustration and shook her head. That name sounded so familiar. She struggled to remember but it was to no avail; all she gained was a bad headache.

"I see," Mokuba said sadly. Amaya thought that she saw traces of sadness in his eyes before he turned away. "I saw you, you know," he whispered and stopped in his tracks. "I saw you in Battle City walking around with Jounouchi's sister." Amaya also stopped in her tracks, her eyes focused on the back of Mokuba's head. "At least I thought it was Amaya-chan but I didn't tell nii-sama. You look so much like her! Then again, so did hundreds of other girls. He never showed it but every time he received false info on your whereabouts, he was crushed! I didn't want him to be disappointed! He really misses you! So please, Amaya-chan, please remember!" Mokuba faced her with tears in his eyes.

_He knew. All along, he knew that I'm really Amaya. He knows that I'm not just a look-a-like. What do I do? Say 'Yes, I am that Amaya"? or do I try to convince him that I'm just a look-a-like with the same name? Would Kaiba, himself, believe that I'm his girlfriend even if I have no recollection of him? No, he wouldn't not after meeting all those imposters that claimed to be me. He'll probably ask me questions like when we met, our first kiss, etc and when I fail to answer, he'll automatically reject me. _The hard truth suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks.

"This is embarrassing," Amaya said loudly, surprising Mokuba. _Why am I so stupid? I can't believe that I'd actually thought that I have a happy reunion with him. He'll just think I'm a look-a-like. _She bit her lower lip, covering her face with her hand so Mokuba couldn't see her tears. She started to run further down the hall away from Mokuba without concentrating on where she was going.

"Come back, Amaya-chan!" Mokuba called out. She kept running. Now she felt truly alone; there wasn't any hope anymore. All this time, she had relied on Kaiba to help her and now the awful truth had hit her. There was no way she could get home now. Where was she going to go now? Run crying to Rishid? Why did she have to depend on him all the time? Was she that useless? Amaya stopped running and leaned against a wall, she panted while wiping away her tears. _I'm breaking my promise to Rishid-san; the one that I made after seeing Ai. I promised him, her and myself that I would be stronger. Ai-chan...I wish you were here, I just feel so lonely. I know that _you _wouldn't put me down so easily. I just know that your simple smile would cheer me up._ For a brief moment, the image of her baby, alive, smiling at her brightened her mood. It had given her a little hope even if she thought otherwise.

Amaya looked back in the direction that she came from and felt guilt settling in. _I'm sorry, Mokuba-san. I just don't have the strength to be rejected by my own boyfriend. _Amaya started to make her way down the hallway that, despite the fact that the sun already came up, was still dark. Where she was walking to, Amaya herself, didn't even know. She just wanted to get away from everybody until the finals are over. Amaya wasn't paying attention when she turned around a corner and bumped face first into someone's chest, causing the person to grunt in surprise and annoyance.

"Ah! Sorry! Sorry!" She said, bowing her head repeatedly to whoever the person was. It wasn't until she opened her eyes that she had realized. _Those shoes look awfully familiar..._A blush overcame her embarrassed visage. _This can't be happening. Of all people to bump into! _Slowly, she raised her head to look at the person's pants, the person's shirt and finally, the person's face. "Uh um I'm sorry, Kaiba-san! I wasn't paying attention!" Amaya cried out nervously.

Kaiba didn't bother to say anything to her. However, he did do something uncomfortable; he stared at her. Amaya had noticed so she made up an excuse to escape his gaze. "I-I should go now. Namu-kun's waiting for me. I'm sorry again." She was about to walk past him when he grabbed her arm. Amaya looked at his hand and at him as if she expected him to release her arm.

He looked closely at her face, trying to examine her features. Amaya tried to look the other way but he forced her to look in his direction so he could scrutinize her face features. Amaya was fully aware that their faces were merely inches away. If one of them were to tilt forward, their lips would touch. On the other hand, Kaiba didn't seem to notice, he was too busy turning her face from side-to-side to even notice. _Is this girl really Amaya? Are these her same light-blue eyes? Her voice sounds the same. Her face looks the same. Her hair's gotten shorter than the last time I saw her but..._

"Amaya?" He whispered uncertainly, his grip hardening, causing Amaya to wince slightly. Despite that, Amaya's breath escaped and her heartbeat rose rapidly. His low voice saying her name was enough to restore the hope that she had lost. She almost wanted to cry out of happiness but managed to keep her tears at bay.

"Th-that's my name. What is it, Kaiba-san?" Amaya asked awkwardly. She hoped that her innocent face would throw him off. It was true that she was ecstatically happy that Kaiba seemed to recognize her though she remembered her promise to him... **_"Do you promise to do everything I say if I saved you?" "But you wouldn't leave me without completing your task, would you?" He cornered her to a wall, his arms were blocking her from escaping. "No, I wouldn't. I promised to do everything you say," Amaya said._**

_I don't know when Malik-sama wants to stop the girlfriend/boyfriend charade but until then, I have to pretend that I don't know what Kaiba is talking about.Then again, it's not exactly lying to him because I really don't remember a thing about him. Although, once this is over, _Amaya mentally smiled at the thought. _I'll spent more time with him so I get to know everything about him again. And I'd be able to see my family again. _Her mind was happily reeling with all the thoughts of the things she'd be able to do once she returns home. _I wonder how his hugs feel like? _Amaya thought with a blush. Suddenly, without noticing, all her thoughts of Malik was washed away to be replaced by thoughts of her boyfriend.

"Amaya," a voice interrupted them. Amaya's insides turned into ice. _Malik-sama! _With the abrupt motion of her head, she looked wide-eyed at Malik who was walking towards them . He looked calm and friendly like he would act in front of Yugi and the others to gain all their trust. "I looked everywhere for you, koishii," Malik said kindness in his voice. Kaiba's hand on Amaya's arm was clenched on so tightly that Amaya emitted a pained squeak. If she had bothered to look, Amaya would've noticed that the brunette next to her had on a loathsome expression directed towards her so-called boyfriend. He didn't seem to notice that Amaya's arm was starting to change a slight shade of blue.

He stood there with a scowl on his face and didn't fade even as Malik walked up to Amaya to take her free arm. Amaya tried to fix this awkward moment by wrapping her fingers around Kaiba's hand; the sudden touch caused Kaiba to look down at her with surprise. "Kaiba-san, you're hurting me. If you could just release your hand..." She peered in his eyes for a second until she was aware that Malik was right next to them. Kaiba reluctantly unclenched his hand from her arm; his glare softening a little as his eyes fell on her.

"Thanks for finding my girlfriend, Kaiba-san," Malik said cheerfully and mockingly. He put his arm around Amaya's shoulders and pulled her closer to him. "I was worried that something might've happened to her. I could never forgive myself if she was in trouble."

_Why do I have a feeling that he actually meant that? _Amaya thought.

Malik continued his one-sided conversation with Kaiba with a smile though on the inside, he wanted to hurt Kaiba so much. All those glares that were directed at him; he was unaffected by those. He knew that Kaiba wasn't any attention to his words at all, his blue eyes kept looking at Malik's hands; the ones that touched Amaya's hips, arms and hands. Malik pretended to be absentmindedly playing with Amaya's fingers by intertwining them with his fingers. Unbeknownst to both of the males, Amaya's face was burning up from Malik's affectionate and playful actions.

"Namu-kun..." Amaya said meekly, trying to pry Malik's fingers from hers.

A sudden beeping sound captured his attention, Kaiba excused himself from Amaya, conveniently forgetting Malik. He turned away from the two and whispered something to his collar. "Kaiba-sama, it's almost time for the finals. Should we begin now or should we postpone?" One of his employees said.

"Now," was all he said.

**Deleted Scenes**

**1)** "An elevator?" She stopped pumping her legs and stared at the elevator in front of her. _Why would there be an elevator in a blimp? I wonder where it goes? _Walking forward, she wiped her tears with her sleeve and sniffled. She turned her head left and right to make sure that no one was watching her. She sniffled for the last time and pressed the up button. Amaya waited until the elevator doors opened; she didn't want to face anyone so she decided to hide on an upper floor. The elevator settled to the floor that Amaya was on, it started to divide its doors enough for her to catch a glimpse of the last person she wanted to see. _Damn, it's Kaiba! _Before she could run away, she felt something grab her arm and pull her inside.

"Uhh!" She quietly gasped, knowing that she collided right into Kaiba's chest.

"Get out," she could hear Kaiba say coldly to his employees. With a chorus of "Yes, Kaiba-sama", all of them exited the elevator to leave them alone. It was quiet now, except for his light breathing, which Amaya could hear, due to how close they were.

**2)** "...and I certainly won't be able to stomach the thoughts of you being with Kaiba! I won't stand for it because-" Malik bit his bottom lip, thinking hard about his choice of wordings. Amaya looked in his eyes with that same smile while waiting for him to finish. "I love you and I-" Before he could finish, Amaya pressed two fingers to his lips.

"Now that you got that out of your system, I bet that you feel much better now," Amaya said patronizingly. That same fake smile was still plastered on her face as her fingers started to stroke his platinum blonde hair. Malik seized her hand and looked straight into her innocent clear sky-blue eyes. "'Got that out of your system'!" He repeated, tightly squeezing her hand. "I tell you that I love you and that's all you're going to say to me!" Amaya's answer was a quick nod.

She stood up on the tips of her toes so her arms could reach around his neck. "It's okay, Malik-sama," she started to coax as if she was talking to a mere child. Malik wrapped his arms around her waist. Even though, he knew he was nothing special to her, he wanted to be close to her. "We have two hours before the finals start...We can just stay like this until then...until I run into Kaiba's arms."

"No, I won't give you a chance to run into his arms. You're mine from now on," Malik whispered firmly into her ear.

**3)** "AGGHH! Shut the fuck up!" Malik yelled, covering his ears to rid of Amaya's hurtful remarks. He staggered to his feet and ran a hand on the smooth surface of the mirror, touching the spot where Amaya's face and traced his fingers over her smiling lips. "How can one girl have so much affect on me?" He asked bitterly before placing his own lips on the mirror. He brought his fist crashing down on the spot where Kaiba's face was.

**4)** Amaya was conflicted with the feeling of guilt and the feeling of hope as Mokuba continued to lead her to wherever Kaiba was. This was the chance that she had been looking for; what she was hoping for all the time; to finally meet her boyfriend and he would be able to tell her everything about herself. "Amaya! Wait!" The two of them turned around to see Malik running towards them with a somewhat distressed expression. Amaya's heart seemed to jump a hundred times as much.

_Malik-sama? Is he coming to apologize to me? _Her eyes were automatically filled with tears; _he really does care. _Finally, he caught up to Mokuba and Amaya; Mokuba with a confused expression and Amaya with the look of happiness and relief. He gripped his knees for support as he waited to catch his breath. "Amaya..." Malik said, taking hold both of her hands. "-I care about you and-" He went down on one knee; Amaya held her breathe while Mokuba looked at Malik with contempt.

_I can't believe this is happening...Is he going to...? _Malik smiled and picked up something at Amaya's feet. "All right! Look, Amaya! I found a coin!" He said happily, clutching a shiny coin.

Amaya looked pissed off as she abruptly wrenched her hands from his hands. Mokuba looked at Malik and tsked, "How could you like this guy, Amaya-chan?"

"Exactly what I was thinking!" She said angrily, walking away from Malik. "I'm definitely going back to Seto Kaiba!"

A/N: Sorry if I made everybody too emotional and out-of-character. Anyway, I'm happy that I finally got this chapter out. Urgh! This chapter was driving me crazy b/c I kept thinking about whether or not Amaya actually gets to talk to her bf. Then I kept changing the first scene in Malik's dream; I had to see which parts made sense to the story and which didn't. Then I had massive writer's block and had to force out words of which I kept erasing b/c they weren't good enough. Finally, I read some of my older chapters and realized that Malik was out-of-character so I tried to make him more angsty. So now you have the background story of why I didn't update as quickly as I would've liked to. Lastly, I would like to thank **Cat (, ****Josephine Jekyl**, **shadowstalker666**, **Shadowed Darkside** and **Solitudity** for reviewing last chapter.

Chapter 20 Preview: The Awakening: Gone Forever?

"You should know, he _did _have feelings for you." Amaya gasped deeply, her lips quivering with shock. "You know what else, he didn't even _want_ to touch you like that; it was me." Salty tears rolled one by one down her cheeks._ Somehow, I knew that it wasn't really him but there was no other explanation. How could I have known that-? _  
"I just wanted to push him in the right direction. Oh, well, it's too late for him now. He's never going to come back," he said tauntingly. "Want to hear more?" He didn't give Amaya a chance to answer before continuing. "He knew that he never had a chance with you because of your relationship with Kaiba. That's why he's afraid to say "I love you"; he knew that you would reject him."

"He _**did**_ care," Amaya whimpered, sobbing.


	21. The Awakening: Gone Forever?

A/N: 1) I didn't write the first duel, which was between Yami and Bakura, but in the beginning of this chapter, the duel already ended. Bakura's unconscious and the second duel starts with 'Malik' (really Rishid) and Jounouchi. Although, it's going to be fast forward of when Rishid is struck by Ra and Malik's dark side ('yami') comes out.

2) Recently, I wrote a Kaiba romance comedy and he was out-of-character so if in this story, you feel like he's ooc, just remember that this is my adaptation of his character when in love. Also, the preview from last chapter wasn't exact so don't complain if this chapter doesn't have similar wording.

Warning: Technically, since this fanfic is rated M, it should dawn on the readers that there's a good reason for that. With that said, there's some sexual content in this chapter.

Chapter 20: The Awakening: Gone Forever?

"Huh? What happened?" Amaya mumbled sleepily, sitting up on the bed. She ran a hand through her hair. She looked around the room and realized that she was in someone else's room. That's when the memories of what happened hours earlier flashed through her mind.

"Rishid-san, Malik-sama..." Amaya muttered as she hugged her knees. She remembered the duel between Bakura and Yugi. She remembered when the monster from the Egyptian God card, Ra struck Rishid. She remembered right after Rishid became unconscious, Malik started to clutch his head in pain and she completely blanked out. Where is he now? Where is Rishid now?

A whimpering sound caught Amaya's attention. She looked up from the bed in alarm. There was something from under the bed. She stuck her head down, lifting the bed sheet so that she could see. A gray-and-white furry something came racing out towards her. Amaya shrieked and lifted her head. The furry creature bumped into the opposite wall and letting out a faint moan of pain. That's when it became recognizable to Amaya; it was a Siberian Husky puppy! A light smile lit up her face.

"Come here, boy. I won't hurt you," she said. Once the puppy regained its composure, without hesitation, it launched itself into Amaya's arms. It buried its head against her chest, whimpering and tried to lick her face. "Easy, boy! Are you hurt?" Amaya felt its head to feel for any bumps. There weren't any but there were plenty of dried up bloody wounds on its side. "Who would do this to you?!" Amaya looked at its collar tag. It read: Tsuki.

"Tsuki-chan...Someone would even hurt you, a little puppy." Amaya hugged Tsuki closer, petting its fur matted with dry blood. She rested her head on top of the puppy's head. The Siberian husky kept licking at a spot on her dress where an oily stain from breakfast's eggs had settled. "Guess you're hungry." Amaya got off the bed and peered out of the door at the dark hallway. All was silent. The door squeaked as she walked further out of the room with Tsuki on her heels. _Where's the kitchen? _She thought, not noticing that someone was right behind her until Tsuki let out a weak bark.

"And where do you think you're going?" Someone familiar said, holding her arm to keep her from advancing any further.

"I-I was just going to the kitchen to get Tsuki-chan something to eat," Amaya said. She was well aware that his hot breath was on her ear.

"Tsuki-chan...That's what you always called him." Kaiba whispered in her ear. Amaya's face flushed. "You always loved to play with him, spend time with him like he was an important person in your life. Once you see me again, you just look away but once you see this useless mutt again, you try to find it food." His grip became noticeably stronger.

"You're hurting me!" was all Amaya could say. He immediately let go of her arm but grabbed her hand and dragged her into the room. "Stay in this room until I send someone for you," he said indifferently.

"What!" Amaya exclaimed. "You can't order me around like this!" _Even if you are my boyfriend!_

Kaiba ignored what she just said. "You're to rest and when you wake up, change into this." He pointed to the folded pile of clothes on the foot of the bed. "Then wait until someone comes." He left without saying anything else. After he exited, there were some clicking sounds from the outside; he had locked the door.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Amaya looked abashed. Without warning, she burst into tears and cried herself to sleep.

An hour later, she was still sleeping away her weariness, unaware that someone was watching her. His fingers wrapped around her soft hair and combed through the dark strands. He listened to her breath slowly. His finger traced the features of her relaxed face. His other hand was clasped around her right hand. His finger traced down to her lips and when he bent down to kiss them. She muttered "Mal-Malik-sama."

* * *

A knock sounded on the door, causing Amaya to stir from her slumber. She sat up on the bed again and yawned. She noticed that Tsuki was gone.

"Amaya-san? Kaiba-sama requests your presence." A servant said from the other side of the door. "Tell me when you're ready and I'll unlock the door." Then it was silent. Amaya knew that the servant was standing quietly outside.

Amaya's eyes spotted the neatly folded clothes that Kaiba told her to change into. She smelled herself. She _did _smell like grease from that morning's eggs. She crawled to the foot of the bed to look at the clothes that Kaiba got for her. "Wow" was the automatic response. At arms' length, she was holding a thin, silky black sweater with laced sleeves. The rest of the ensemble was a silky black tanktop with lacy roses right above her chest completed with a long dark-red skirt. There was a black lacy hem on the bottom of the skirt.

After Amaya changed, she opened to find the servant standing there with a smile of her face. "You look pretty, Amaya-san." She said, smiling.

"Thank you," Amaya said, tucking a loose hair behind her ear. "Before we go, have you seen a puppy? It has light blue eyes and it's gray and white."

The maid of probably twenty years, smiled. "If you mean Tsuki-chan, it is currently being treated for its wounds. Now if you'll follow me, Kaiba-sama is patiently waiting for you."

"But-" Amaya said but stopped. _He probably took Tsuki while I wasn't looking. _

While the maid walked ahead, Amaya followed her until they passed Rishid's room. The image of him falling down after being struck by thunder dawned on her. Without thinking, she ran to his door and opened it. The maid just noticed that Amaya wasn't behind her anymore.

"Amaya-san, we have to-" She began to say.

"NO!" Amaya said defiantly. Rishid was lying motionlessly on the bed. "Rishid-san, Rishid-san? Wake up! Please wake up!" She cried.

"Amaya-san, we have to go now. If we don't, Kaiba-sama will get angry," the maid tried to reason with Amaya. She tried to pry Amaya away from the sleeping form but Amaya wouldn't budge.

"Please let me stay here. Apologize to Kaiba-san for me. I don't want to leave him here alone."

The maid hesitated but she couldn't bear to see her this sad. She sighed before saying, "Very well. I'll tell him that you're still sleeping. I'll give you about twenty minutes more but no more."

"Thank you." The maid just nodded and left.

Amaya waited till the maid left. "Rishid-san, I don't know if you can hear me." She paused to see if Rishid would respond. "But I just wanted to tell you 'thank you'. If it weren't for you, I would still be in Egypt, wondering who I am. You and Malik-sama has been a big help for me. Even if Malik-sama is using me, I'm still grateful to him. I mean, thanks to him, I can finally go home. Damn it! I'm crying again." Amaya wiped away her tear. "I guess I'm sad since I know after this tournament, I'll never see you or Malik-sama again."

_The truth is..._ "The truth is...I know that Malik-sama is special to you but...a part of me hates him so much! He's-he's a disgusting pervert! Just because I'm his servant, he thinks that he can take advantage of me! He did so many bad things to Yugi-kun and the others! Though when I told him I hate him, a part of me was hurting. I'm so confused." The tears were flowing freely now. "Rishid-san, please wake up and give me some advice. If not, then wake up and yell at me for putting him down!" Amaya slumped to the floor. "Malik-sama..."

"Yes?"

Amaya jumped at the unexpected response. "Ahh!" She shrieked in surprise. She gulped as she slowly turned around. "Malik-sama?" Amaya straightened herself up, wrapping her sweater closer to her body. From the light flooding from the hallway, she could see him standing close to the door, clutching the staff which the others called "Millennium Rod." For some reason, her body started to tense up. She started to back up but if she backed up anymore, she'd fall on Rishid's bed. _Wake up, Rishid-san! Please! _She thought as she looked down at the floor. Malik's presence was making her increasingly uncomfortable.

She looked up briefly to see that he was still standing by the door, eyes focused right on her. She wrapped her sweater closer to her; it suddenly became colder. "Malik-sama? Did you come by to see how Rishid-san's doing?" Amaya asked, wiping the tears clinging to her eyelashes. She managed a weak smile.

"On the contrary, I'm here to kill off the only one who can stop me," Malik said casually.

"Kill him off?!" Amaya repeated with shock.

"And after I was done with him, I was going to kill time by looking for you. But now that you're here, how about we have a heart-to-heart just between us?"

"Are you crazy? What are you talking about 'the only one that can stop you'? You're gonna kill off Rishid-san even though he's so loyal to you! Then you want to have a 'heart-to-heart' with me?" Amaya yelled. "Y-you disgust me!"

"Why, thank you," Malik said calmly but Amaya was shaking with anger. "Did you arrive to that conclusion ever since that day...?"

Amaya's heart became heavy. Her legs were turning into jelly. She didn't say anything. Instead, her body slid to the floor.

"You remember that day clearly, don't you? Remember when you yelled for me to stop? That's the day you started to hate me, isn't it? But somewhere in your heart, you wished that it wasn't true, didn't you? That Malik-sama wasn't really just after your body?" He said, walking closer to her. She was staring blankly at the floor, not wanting to look at him. She was unaware of his closeness.

He put his hand gently on her shoulder; she slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me!"

"Why? You know you love me," he said, sneering evilly.

"Shut up! I hate you! I hate you with all of my heart! You're just a disgusting pervert! I wish I'd never met you!" Amaya shouted at him, tears falling down her face. _That's not true! I'm so happy that I met him! I love him so much but if-if all he cares about is some card from Kaiba or sex or becoming Pharaoh...Is there any room for me in his heart? Why, of all people, did I fall for him?_

"Did you know that you're so beautiful?" Malik whispered in her ear. Amaya closed her eyes. _From pretty to beautiful..._ She was emotionally weak and confused. She could feel something warm surround her. Her body started to let go some of her tension. "I love you, Amaya," He whispered. He held her tighter from behind.

Unfortunately for her, Amaya didn't know that she wasn't hugging the Malik that she loves. She was so happy with his confession. _Get away from him now! He's dangerous! _Amaya thought that she was hearing voices. _Who is that?_

"Love you so much..." Malik muttered absentmindedly. He buried his head in the crook of her neck to nibble her skin. Amaya was starting to feel uncomfortable again. She made to push him away but he held tighter to her waist. His nibbling was turning into biting. _That's not him! Get away from him before he does something!_

'_Not him?'_

_The real Malik is gone. The Malik before you is an incarnation of his hatred. He doesn't care for you. All he loves is pain. _

_What? Incarnation of hatred? _Amaya couldn't comprehend what was going on. What does the voice mean by 'the real Malik' and 'incarnation of hatred'? He says the three words and suddenly it's revealed that he doesn't care about her? She should ignore the voice. It's not normal to hear voices in your head anyway but somehow, Amaya knew it was right. Somehow, she knew that this Malik wasn't the true one. The real one wouldn't discredit Rishid like that. She knew that from the bottom of her heart. The real Malik's eyes aren't clouded with hatred. The real one wouldn't really say 'I love you'. Amaya didn't want to believe that but...

"GET OFFA ME!" She shouted. She was trying to push him off but only succeeded in pushing his chin up away from her. His arms were still around her waist. "Where's the _real _Malik-sama!? What did you do to him?"

"The _real _Malik? I _am _the real him. If you meant my weaker half, he's gone forever. You know, the Malik whose heart was wounded with your 'I hate you' confession. The one who actually cared for your feelings. But me? I just want to be able to tell your boyfriend how you are in bed. That is, if you haven't already done it with him." Without warning, he managed to roll onto of her.

"NO!" Amaya tried to knee him in the groin. However, he pinned down both of her legs with his. "STOP! Malik-sama! Please stop!" Her heart was pounding with fear. Her hold on his face broke; he was licking her neck. Amaya groaned in disgust. She attempted to scratch him but he ignored the pain.

"Know who I wish was here right now? Kaiba. I want to see the look on his face as I'm touching his private property."

_He's too strong! How many minutes has it been? The lady is supposed to come back in twenty minutes! _

The sound of fabric ripping echoed in the room. He had ripped the expensive sweater that Kaiba had gotten for her. Amaya was feeling weaker. _This can't be happening to me! Malik-sama, please come back! _"I've got an even better idea." He climbed off of her. She thought that she was free though he was just placing her on the bed, directly on top of Rishid!

Amaya kicked, screamed and swatted the air frantically, struggling to loosen his hold. Finally, she found an opening and slapped him across the face. He wasn't happy. He grabbed hold of her arm before she could run out. With a sudden pull, she was on the bed again, crying out loudly, kicking again. "Nice try," he said, leaning down to kiss her. A call over the intercom interrupted him. A voice was demanding his presence for the next duel with Mai.

"You lucked out again, Amaya-chan but you won't be so lucky next time," Malik said, walking out of the room.

She got off the bed, straightened Rishid's blanket and pillow. As she looked down upon his peaceful face, she couldn't keep it in anymore. The tears fell on his face as Amaya covered her face and fell down to the floor. She sat on the floor, hugging her knees closer. She looked defeated with her ruined sweater hanging off her arms, the top part of her shirt ripped open to reveal her bra.

After Mai and Malik's duel, Mai is unconscious in the infirmary while Yugi and the others were watching over her. Amaya, however, was residing in Kaiba's room again. She didn't know it but while she was at Rishid's room, the maid had told on Amaya's whereabouts. Kaiba found her sitting on the floor, staring into nothingness, not noticing his presence. He had carried her into his room. Currently, she was absentmindedly petting a newly restored Tsuki, who was trying to comfort his owner by rubbing its head against her belly.

A weight settled upon the bed though Amaya ignored it and continued to pet Tsuki's head. She shivered when fingers ran through her hair. Her light blue eyes slowly looked to the person next to her. To her relief, it wasn't him. It was Kaiba. Her hand touched his but she took his hand out of her hair. She scooted farther away from him as though afraid of him. Tsuki moved closer to his owner, nuzzling Amaya's hand. The latter continued to touch its soft white and gray fur.

"Did something happen when you were in that room?" Kaiba whispered.

Amaya didn't answer. She just looked at him briefly then hugged him. He patted her back to calm her down. "I'm sorry! I'm so stupid! Of course, it wouldn't be true!" _I'm so stupid! I actually thought that he would actually love me! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid me! Kaiba is my _real _boyfriend yet I was thinking about someone else! From now on, I love Seto Kaiba and when I remember everything, my feelings for Malik-sama will disappear._

"Everything's all right now, Amaya. Rest assured," Kaiba said, kissing her lips. Amaya closed her eyes and smiled.

A/N: And that was chapter 20. With this long update, I hope my reviewers will come back. In this chapter, whenever I typed 'Malik', I actually meant the 'yami'. The part when evil Malik puts Amaya on top of Rishid is to show his disrespect for him. The next chapter is called "In His Possession Again". It's the beginning of Malik and Yami's duel and when most of Amaya's memories will be revealed. So basically you'll get to see how Kaiba got Amaya to date him and how their relationship was. Also, the big surprise that will destroy the future of Malik and Amaya's relationship.


	22. In His Possession Again

A/N: In this chapter, Amaya is very emotional. I tried to reduce her crying but it's impossible. So much things that happened...I put myself in her shoes and if those things happened to me, I would cry a lot, too. Hopefully, the crying won't turn most of you off to this chapter.

Chapter 21: In His Possession Again (The Monster Within)

_"Love has made me a fool  
It set me on fire and watched as I floundered."_

-Sarah McLachlan, _Stupid_

Running, she ran as fast as her feet could carry her. Her heart was pounding against her chest; against her ears. She was breathing heavily. She couldn't let him catch her. Tears stung her eyes. Her hands quickly wiped them away to clear her vision. "Someone help me," she whimpered, running down a dim corridor. "I don't want to be hurt anymore. I want someone to..." She knew whoever that was chasing her would hurt her; she didn't know who it was though.

Amaya suddenly stopped and looked back. She couldn't hear his footsteps approaching...yet. She was standing in front of five mysterious wooden doors. Somehow as she looked at each one of them, she knew she had to pick a door. It couldn't just be a door, it has to be _the _door, the _right _door or she would be in trouble. She didn't know how she knew; she just knew. She turned to the first door, the second door, the third door, the fourth door then the fifth door. **Thump!**

Her voice was caught in her throat. Her heartbeat increased. "Which door? Which door!" She whispered urgently to herself.

"Where the hell are you!" Her pursuer yelled. "You know you can't escape me, Amaya!" Amaya almost screamed but she covered her mouth with her hand. With tears running down her cheeks, Amaya ran to the first door and quietly but opened it quickly. He was gaining on her, she knew it. Amaya ran into the room, slammed the door and locked it. She had trouble since her shaking hands were fumbling with the locks. She turned around and gasped, backing up against the wooden door.

There was a familiar looking man standing in front of her. He had kind brown eyes and neat black hair. He was wearing a business suit and polished black shoes. Amaya put her hand to her mouth; she recognized who he was.

"Dad?" She asked. She was moving slowly towards the older man who spread his arms out. Amaya bit her bottom lip and launched herself into his arms. "Daddy!" She closed her eyes, squeezing out more hot tears. Her dad smiled kindly and patted her head.

"Amaya-chan," he said emotionally. His hug was cutting off her oxygen supply but Amaya didn't care. She hadn't seen him for so long. She smiled intensely; she knew that he would protect her from anyone or anything that would hurt her. She remembered when he used to tell her not to worry about scary things because he would always be there for her. She believed him when she was a child and she would believe him now.

"I'm so happy to see you, dad!" She said happily, looking up at him.

"I am too, Amaya," he said wearily. He looked sad.

"What's wrong?" Amaya asked, frowning.

"I've been a bad father to you. And now I have to go," he sighed.

"What? But dad, someone's trying to hurt me!"

"I can't protect you from that person. I'm sorry, Amaya..." With that said, he turned away from her, walking away until he disappeared. Her sky-blue eyes stared at where her dad was and she collapsed on her knees. The only person that could help her just walked out on her. She sobbed into her hands. Who can save her now? "Uh...Dad! Mom! Help me! Please save me!" She yelled pathetically in the empty room. No one responded. Amaya realized that no one was going to rescue her from this unknown enemy.

"Doesn't anyone care?" She whispered. She crumbled onto the floor, crying into the carpet. Her head was buried in her arms, her hair sprawled around her.

"I care," a voice whispered in her ear. Amaya's gasp was caught in her throat. Her eyes widened in fear. She felt someone's arms hug her shoulders from behind. It was him. He was going to hurt her again. She let out a frightened yelp. She didn't want to look up. She attempted to release herself from his hold but the person held on tighter. "NO!" Amaya screamed. She managed to kick him and ran while he was bent over in pain.

"Why are you running away, Amaya? We love each other, don't we?" He said with sadistic joy. She quickly unlocked the door and bolted away from the room. She faced the other four closed doors and picked the last one. Without thinking, she rushed into the room, locking the five padlocks on the door. She stopped her heavy breathing, covering her mouth. She leaned against the door, sighing in half-relief and half-fear. She was sobbing uncontrollably now. She still hadn't been able to see her pursuer's face even when she had kicked him. She looked around the new room. It was dim but a small lamp lit some corners. In one corner of the room, there was a bed with pastel pink sheets and pastel blue pillows. The wall above the headboard had posters of famous TV shows and singers. The wall opposite the headboard had a calendar of adorable kittens and a desk that held a computer beneath the calendar. Another wall had a huge colorful cardboard bulletin board with a light purple background. There were photographs of friends, family members and other people on it. There was a stack of cookbooks on top of the mahogany dresser next to the bed. There was a girl sitting on top of the bed.

The girl's black hair was tied in two braids. Her back faced Amaya. Her shoulders were shaking and Amaya could hear her quietly sobbing. Her hands were covering her face. "I c-can't believe h-he di-did that," the girl sobbed, unaware of Amaya's presence.

"Did what?" Amaya asked. She completely forgot that she was a stranger who had barged into someone's room without her permission. She felt sorry for this girl though. This girl seemed like she was pretty shaken up by whatever had happened to her. Amaya walked towards the bed and crawled on it until she reached the girl. The latter still seemed oblivious to her visitor. She was touching a spot on her neck. Amaya sat right next to the girl. The girl continued to cradle a particular spot on her neck. She laid on her side on the bed, her legs still on the floor. Her pale blue eyes looked into the distance.

"I love him but how can I if he would treat me that way?" She asked listlessly.

"What did he do to you?" Amaya asked the girl. The girl didn't answer. She was playing with the fringes of her pillow. "WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME!" She shouted at the girl, abruptly reaching her hand out to the girl. Her hand went through the girl's limp body. Amaya looked at her hands with disbelief. _What's going on? Why did my hand go through? _

"Who are you?" Amaya asked the girl but she didn't need an answer. She got a good look at the girl that was half-hidden in the shadows of the dim room. It was her! Amaya felt like she was looking in a mirror. The girl was Amaya. Alarmed, Amaya got up and slowly backed away from the sad twin.

"Amaya..." _That voice...No! _She stumbled backwards. _Where is it coming from? Where is he? _

"Here you are, Amaya. Come play with me. I know that it hurts you but love, in general, hurts," he said in her ear.

"It doesn't have to hurt," Amaya said automatically. She felt like she said these words before. Amaya was frozen on the spot. She was caught. "No, no, NO!!!!!!!" She turned around and beat his chest. "Let me go!" She was tightly locked in his embrace.

"No," he said firmly. The coldness of his voice...It was so familiar. He had talked to her in this tone before. She was scared of him during those times like she was now. "How many times have I told you? I won't let you go again. I've got possession of you again...finally."

She was pressed against his chest, her ear directly on his beating heart. It was jumping rapidly. "Let me go for now. I won't go away. I promise," she said sincerely.

"You're not going to escape. Ever since you were gone, I've been thinking about you nonstop," he whispered, running his fingers through her hair. "There are times when I say things that hurt you more than I realize. You're still there for me. There are times when I don't acknowledge your presence. I still love you. You know that, right?"

Her eyes filled with tears. One by one, they slid down her cheeks. "If you love me, then why do you hurt me?" She asked automatically, her fingers digging deep into his shirt. She should hate him but she loved him too much...This person who hurt her so much also loved her too much.

"Because you don't do what I ask of you," he said simply. His demanding tone was also familiar. Amaya sobbed. He'll never change. It was always his way or no way. With him, she never had her own way. He seemed to think that he could control this relationship and her. "Because you'll leave me..." He whispered.

"You don't trust me, do you?" She asked tearfully. She feared the answer. She trusted him time and time again. After all that he's done to her, she foolishly restored her trust in him always. Maybe she was just hoping that he would change.

"How can I when you're always with other guys? When any male comes near you, I automatically get jealous. When you're with them, I can see you smiling happily. Your smile should be just for me."

"Of course, I smile when I'm with other people. Those people are my friends! I love my friends, too but I love you in a different way. The kind of love that exists between only two people...But even so, that doesn't mean you can control my life! You can't tell me to stop go out with my friends or tell you where I am everytime I'm not near you." Amaya closed her eyes. She wanted to be in his arms...

"Amaya..." He whispered.

"Hmm..." Tsuki nuzzled Amaya's face. **Arf! Arf! **It licked Amaya's face. "Ah...Tsuki!" Amaya exclaimed, opening her eyes. Its clear pale azure eyes were looking at her. The Siberian Husky was wagging his tail happily, sitting next to his owner. She looked down to see that her ripped outfit was replaced. She was now wearing a silk navy blue tanktop. "Who changed me?" Amaya said. She got off the bed and walked over to the door. The door was locked. "What the-? Hello! Is anybody out there?" She pounded on the door.

"You're awake, Amaya-sama," a voice said on the other said.

"Whoever's out there. Could you open the door or ask Kaiba-san to unlock it? I want to talk to him," Amaya said.

"Sorry, Kaiba-sama's orders. I can't let you leave the room. Are you hungry? I can tell the kitchen staff to fix you something."

Amaya frowned. "No! All I want is get out of here. And what do you mean, I can't leave the room! What's he keeping me in here for?" Amaya said.

"I don't ask questions. I just do my job. I'm your bodyguard for the time being. No one except he is to enter this room. You can't leave until he says so," he said calmly.

She pounded on the door louder. "Listen! I am not in a good mood right now. Let me out! Damn you!" She kicked the door. He didn't answer. He just stood there like a statue.

Minutes passed, Amaya thought hours had passed. "I'm bored," Amaya muttered, sitting on the bed. She hugged her legs, leaning her head on her knees. She sighed, watching the closed door through half-opened eyes. She was sick of resting in her room. She didn't know why, Kaiba seemed to be refusing to let her leave. She pouted, looked around the room and spotted a vase in a corner. Suddenly, she had an idea. The bodyguard reacted quickly when he heard something break. Amaya screamed in pain.

"Amaya-sama, what's wrong?" He quickly unlocked the door and ran to the middle of the room. Amaya was standing behind the door. She took the opportunity and ran out of the room. She sprinted down the corridor away from the bodyguard in pursuit. "Amaya-sama, please come back or Kaiba-sama will fire me!" He yelled in desperation. She sprinted around a corner and opened the closest door.

_Why are you locking me up for, Kaiba? _She thought. She remained quiet until she was sure that the guard ran past the room. When it was all quiet, Amaya wanted to take a peek outside. Although, it was stuck. _Don't tell me this door is stuck._ "This can't be happening," she muttered to herself. A door was being opened behind Amaya, she looked around to see..."AHHH!!!!" Her piercing scream ran throughout the whole airship.

It stopped Kaiba and Yugi's little argument. The familiar scream alarmed Kaiba, who was in the middle of a smart remark. He looked up to realize that it was Amaya's scream. Without bothering to excuse himself, he ran towards her room. Mokuba, Yugi, Anzu, Honda and Shizuka followed him. To his chagrin, he found the door ajar without anybody inside. "If that psycho did anything to her, I swear he'll pay," he muttered, referring to Malik.

Amaya's appointed bodyguard caught sight of his livid boss. "Kaiba-sama, Amaya-sama, she escaped! I don't know where she is!" he said, panting.

"How did this happen? You were supposed to be watching her!" Kaiba shouted. Yugi was surprised to see Kaiba so worried about Amaya.

"Uh...well. There was a crashing sound and I thought she was hurt," he said sheepishly. After Kaiba fired him very loudly, the guard told him which direction Amaya ran off to. "AHHH!!" Amaya screamed once more. The next moment was such a blur to Amaya. She had been accidentally looking at something that she shouldn't have seen, screamed two times then the door was suddenly kicked open. Kaiba stood there with Yugi and the others behind him. Amaya immediately rammed into his arms. She was flushed; she resembled a tomato now.

Kaiba decided that Jou, who was standing before them with just a towel on, was trying to do something to Amaya. When in fact, Amaya had just caught Jou coming out of the shower with only his towel on then it slipped. He didn't catch it in time. Amaya saw his...lower assets. That was when Amaya started to scream from embarrassment. Kaiba, however, was still under the impression that Jounouchi had evil intentions. Amaya realized this when Kaiba glaring at him, almost lunged at him. Amaya got in the way. "No, it's not what you think! It was my fault. I was the one that went into his room but I didn't know it was his room. I'm sorry about that, Jounouchi-san." She directed that to Jou, who held his towel in place. He was blushing. He wished they would get out of his room.

"It's your fault anyway! Why did you lock me in that room? I felt like a prisoner," Amaya said angrily, beating on his chest. He grabbed her wrists. "And why did you put a bodyguard in front of the door? Do you think I'm that incapable of taking care of myself?"

"All you had to do was stay in your room. Was it that hard to do?" He spoke to her like she was a child. She scowled at him.

"Yes, it was. You put me in a room where I'm all alone. I know you're busy with the tournament. Fine, I respect that. The thing's that has me upset is you cage me like I'm a dangerous animal," she said.

Yugi was confused. Wasn't Amaya supposed to be Namu's girlfriend, who later turns out to be Malik? Shouldn't she be with Malik right now? Why was she speaking to Kaiba like she was close to him? Truthfully, Yugi and his friends hadn't decided if Amaya was also an enemy or not. Sure, she was with Malik in the beginning but when she was found out, she looked worried. 'Namu' admitted that he was Malik and changed to a different person. Amaya stayed away from him after that. Was their separation a trick? Yugi hadn't seen her much after yesterday. Now that he looked at her, she looked weak and pathetic, sad almost.

"Nii-sama is just worried about you, Amaya-chan," Mokuba intervened, trying to help.

"There's no point in arguing about this," Kaiba said. He had no choice. She was still complaining to him about his treatment. Without warning, he swept her off her feet, literally. She gasped and blushed, clutching around his neck for dear life. She didn't know he was _this _tall. This was embarrassing.

On the way out, Kaiba said to Jounouchi. "Next time lock your door, dog." He snapped at Yugi and his friends to get out of the way. Mokuba followed the couple. As they walked farther, Amaya looked back at them. Shizuka waved to her, smiling. Amaya returned the gesture, smiling. Then her gaze dropped. Yugi noticed, she looked really sad.

As he walked back to her room, Amaya thought about the dream that she had. She was certain that Kaiba was the guy in the dream. So far she thought he was rude sometimes but he cared about her. That's all she knew. Did he really hurt her in the past? Was he really that controlling? Was he that possessive of her? Right now she didn't believe any of that. She didn't want to. She leaned on his chest, closing her eyes and smiling. He felt warm.

"Are you going to go back to organizing the tournament?" Amaya asked Kaiba when they reached her room. He sat her down on the foot of the bed. She looked sad. She didn't want him to go and leave her alone again. At the same time, she didn't want to bother him.

He shook his head slightly. "I want to be here with you," he said, making her blush. "We're going to the site where the finals are being held. I have some free time right now."

"Really? Great!" Amaya could hardly contain herself. He sat on the bed next to her. She nervously played with her fingers, blushing and looking at the floor. "Ah, Kaiba, I-"

He stopped her. "You used to address me by my first name, Amaya."

"Sorry," she said. She was ashamed now. What was his first name again? Rishid had mentioned his whole name once or twice. What was it again? She might as well tell him now about her amnesia. "I have to tell you something. You see, I-" Again, he interrupted her. When she had turned her head to him, he grabbed this opportunity. She couldn't finish her sentence since his lips were stuck to hers. Amaya slowly put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Their kiss deepened. Meanwhile, Mokuba was standing in the doorway, blushing. He had wanted to tell Kaiba something but he decided it can wait. He left and closed the door quietly.

Tsuki whimpered. Amaya broke away from her boyfriend,, much to his annoyance. Smiling, she picked up the puppy. "What is it, Tsuki-chan? Are you hungry now?" She asked it, petting it. It was sitting on her lap. Amaya acted the same way she did when she first got the puppy. She examined the puppy's wounds. "I think you're almost better, Tsuki."

"Forget about that damn mutt!" Kaiba roared. He took Tsuki from a protesting Amaya and threw it outside the room, closing the door on it. It whimpered, scratching at the door. **Arf! Arf! Arf!**

"Tsuki-chan! What did you do that for? He didn't do anything to you! Besides, someone hurt him!" She cried angrily.

"I know. I was the one that hurt him," he whispered. "I had to shut it up, somehow! It was whining and whimpering...for you. The maids and Mokuba took care of him while you were gone. Still, it was making these annoying sounds. I knew it missed you. I didn't even think it was smart enough to miss you. Sometimes he barks at a picture of you then whimpers again. What's more is that he had your eyes. They reminded me even more of you. I keep thinking about you and that-that Malik! I was furious!"

"You're a monster! You hurt him just because his sorrow annoyed you. I saw dried blood on him, you did that to him?!" Amaya had a sunken feeling in her stomach. _How could he do that to an innocent puppy? _Amaya sunk on the bed, clutching the comforter.

"Don't you remember what I used to say to you, Amaya dear?" he whispered sardonically in her ear. "You belong to nobody else but me." Her eyes conveyed fear. She remained immobile, his arms around her. Even if she could move, she had nowhere else to go.

"Oh, my...I need to get out of here," she muttered. She got on her feet and tried to find her boots. They were nowhere in sight. She would have to wear slippers then. She needed to get away from him. Something terrible was going to happen. She headed for the door but Kaiba wasn't about to let her go.

"Where do you think you're going?" He said in a low growl. His hand squeezed her arm tightly. He roughly pulled her back, she collided right into his chest. "I'm not finished with you." He turned her around, his hands on her shoulders. "It's time to play..." Amaya's eyes widened.

_He said those words before...Just like in my dream...Just like before I was in labor _(referto chapter 9)_...Those words that instilled fear into me. _Amaya thought, staring wide-eyed at him. He put his hands on each side of her face, making her face him. She looked beautiful to him. Beautiful enough to...

"No..." Amaya knew what those words meant. Pain was the result of those words. "No, please..." Tears stung her eyes. "I don't want to." She had pleaded like that before, she realized.

"Why do you always cry?" He asked irritably. "The pain is just temporary. Now do what I say."

"No," Amaya said firmly. "I don't want to." She stood her ground.

"I'm not asking you to. I am telling you to," he said acidly. She slapped him across the face. She glared at him. If he really loved her, he wouldn't force her to do this.

"I said I don't want to do this!" Amaya said with more force. If she remembered anything about her past, she would've known...It wasn't wise to fight back. "Ah!" Her slap was reciprocated, aching ten times worse. She was almost knocked down to the floor but he caught her by her arm. Blood dripped down the corner of her lips.

"Haven't you learned anything from the past? Fighting back only makes it worse," he snapped at her. Amaya struggled from his grip. Kaiba threw her roughly onto the bed. She clutched the stinging cheek, sobbing. Her hair covered the side of her pathetic face. He bent down at her side, pulling her head back by her hair. She sobbed in his face. "You're very beautiful. You're the only girl I would devote my time to. You're the only girl that I love." He released her hair. She was trying to crawl off the bed. Kaiba got in her way before she could make her escape. She was pushed back on. He was on her before she could get up. Her hands were locked over her head by his. Her legs were straddled by his. His lips claimed hers before she could whimper. A stray tear rolled down. _If you love me, then why do you hurt me?_

His eyes closed, he was fiercely kissing her. Amaya was still in shock, her pupils dilated. This feeling of desperation, of weakness, she felt it many times before. She used to cry many times when she was with him.

No one could help her. No one knew about it. She never wanted to tell anybody. She didn't want to believe it herself but it always happened. At that time, the only people she talked to were her parents and Mokuba. How could she tell any of them? Her parents would be devastated. Her father would be full of guilt. And Mokuba...Amaya especially didn't want to tell him. He had already caught his brother beating her once.

He wasn't a bad person. Mokuba said that once. Amaya agreed. She agreed that he went too far just that one time. He was just angry because Hoshi was near Amaya again. He didn't hit Amaya the few weeks after. Then something happened, she didn't know what. He asked Amaya to do something. The way he 'asked' her was more like demanding. She didn't want to. Something happened. She wanted to forget it. She thought it was just that time. It'll never happen again. She was sorely mistaken and naive.

She had to hide many things like her crying, her bruises, the real reasons for her bruised body.

Amaya cried out in despair. It was muffled by his kiss. She couldn't do anything but let the tears silently. Her hands clawed at his back at an attempt to freedom.

Mokuba was on his way to the kitchen when a certain memory resurfaced. He didn't know why but it suddenly appeared in his mind. He remembered he was just walking out of his bedroom when he heard a shout. "...You idiot!" Mokuba just assumed that Kaiba was yelling at another new maid. Out of curiosity, he looked through the door crack. What he saw shocked him: Amaya was cowering on the floor in fear with blood coming out of her side! Kaiba kneeled next to Amaya, who was trying to crawl away. She was like a little hermit crab trying to find a safe haven. "AH!" She yelped when he yanked her head back. "How could you? You dressed like a whore to get another guy's attention!" He yelled furiously, pulling harder on her hair. Amaya covered herself with her arms to deflect another one of his blows. It never came. Amaya looked up at the scene in front of her.

"Stop hurting Amaya-chan! Can't you see? She's bleeding!" Mokuba cried, holding back Kaiba's arm. She fainted in front of them before she was rushed into a hospital. Mokuba sighed. _He said that was the first time and last time that he would hit her. But why was he hitting her in the first place?_

Amaya could remember something...

"What the hell are you doing back here!" He snapped. "Did you come back to insult me some more? Not satisfied that you called me those names yesterday? Have you come to tell me more about my cruel self? "

"No, no! I just wanted to give you something." Amaya extended both of her hands to show him the letter. _I should've bought him a gift instead of just giving him the letter alone. I'm so stupid! _He took the letter from her and she watched him, afraid that he really was going to rip it up. Surprisingly, he took the letter gingerly from the envelope and unfolded it. She was nervous as his blue eyes scanned the letter. She had spent the whole night trying to write a letter that was suitable for someone like him. She had leafed through various dictionaries, trying to find the appropriate words that sounded businesslike. She had crumpled more than ten pages of paper. She tried to hand write it then resorted to typing the letter. She remembered that her dad said that Kaiba was obsessed with computers. Maybe if she typed the letter, he would think that she loved computers as much as he did. Then she discovered that if she typed the letter, it didn't seem like she meant the apology. So she handwrote it again in blue ink but more neatly than she had done in previous drafts. She was desperate to undo what she did.

"Did you really think that this letter would get me to forget about everything? To forgive you?" He said mockingly. Amaya blushed out of embarrassment and anger. She looked down at the ground before saying no. "Your father is an intelligent man yet you," Kaiba said, lifting her chin with his finger. "are an unwise girl. He knows how to act around important people but you think that people will find you cute so they'll let you slide by with whatever childish thing you do." That was the last straw. She pushed him away and glared at him.

"If you don't forgive me, then fine! You don't have to say something rude!" Amaya snatched the letter from him and ripped it up. The shredded pieces of the letter littered the marble floor. "There! Are you happy now? It took me four hours to write a perfect letter for you! Now my dad's going to hate me!" Kaiba could see tears glittering in the corners of her eyes. Amaya ran to the elevator, wiping her eyes roughly with her sleeve. She didn't want her dad to see that she had been crying. He would be suspicious and figure out that she wasn't working on a project.

"Cute girl," Kaiba said, smirking. He pocketed the envelope and proceeded to walk to his office. His young secretary handed him important documents and his mail.

"Was there anything else you needed, Kaiba-sama?" The secretary asked.

"Yes. Order some flowers: one bouquet of different flowers and another bouquet of red roses. Have the first one addressed to Akimoto's wife and the bouquet of roses to Amaya Akimoto. Have the flowers delivered here before the Akimoto house," he said, looking through his mail. "Then make a reservation for two at that new French restaurant."

"Yes, Kaiba-sama. I'll take care of it right away," she said, picking up the phone.

When Amaya entered the front door of her three-story house, shouting out that she was home and replacing her black shoes with slippers. It was already one o'clock, later than the time she intended to go home. After she ran out of the company, Amaya felt too ashamed to face her dad so she skipped going home; opting for Miiko's house instead to complain about "the arrogant asshole." Her puffy eyes also indicated that tears were also shed over the incident.

She sighed, solemnly walking to the living room to take a nap. She might as well be rested before her dad finds out. As she entered the living room, she was in for a big surprise. For one thing, her parents were sitting on the sofa when they were supposed to be out. Although, the things that caught her attention were all the flowers and brightly wrapped presents. She, as well as her parents, were looking confused at all the gifts and flowers. This confused Amaya greatly. Surely, they were the ones that got the presents?

"Hey, mom, dad. Sorry I'm late. Miiko and I was having trou-" She walked around a pile of presents. "Whose presents are those?" She dropped all pretenses and forgot about her late excuse. Her dad stuck out a bouquet of red roses in her face which she thanked him for; gingerly taking the flowers from him with a smile. The strange thing was that he didn't smile back. He just pointed to the attached note. Confused, she put the flowers on the glass coffee table and opened the mini-card. Her eyes scanned the bottom of the note; a neat signature caught her attention: Seto Kaiba. _Are you kidding me! _Amaya thought, quickly scanning every sentence.

"Amaya, what is it? What did he say?" Her dad piped into her thoughts. She forgot they were still here.

"You know it's from him?" Amaya countered his question with hers. She looked around at the various gifts and the two different bouquets; the bouquet of multi-colored flowers clutched in her mom's hand and her own. "All this stuff is from him?!" She yelled, indicating all the gifts.

"Yes..." Her mom answered meekly. She seemed almost hesitant to answer that. The look on her face clearly read 'I was surprised, too!' Amaya looked down at the note again. Her face flushed.

"What did it say?" Her dad asked nervously.

"Um...He said that he's sorry for yesterday and this morning..." she said absentmindedly.

"This morning? Amaya!" Mr. Akimoto said sternly. "Don't tell me you went down to the company?"

"No, of course not!" Amaya said quickly. Her eyes shot down to the note. "He also said that he's sorry for making me mad." She intentionally left out the part where he asked her out on a date, the part where he said that she was pretty when she got mad, the part where he said she looked cute in her outfit.

Amaya had thrown away the flowers despite her dad's protests. She refused to accept any flowers from the, as she put it, arrogant bastard. She did refrain from saying that in front of her dad though. She also conveniently forgot to mention the date part to her dad. Amaya had ripped the note into a million pieces so Mr. Akimoto couldn't read it.

PKPKPKPKPK

"You're kidding me with this, right?" Amaya asked with Kaiba's frightened secretary standing behind her. She brandished the note attached to the red roses that he had sent her.

"I'm sorry, Kaiba-sama. Ms. Akimoto said she wanted to see you. I know you're busy and I tried to stop her-," she said, stuttering.

"It's all right, Nancy. I'll make time for Amaya," he said, taking his eyes off the laptop and looking at the livid Amaya. She had a look of pure venom. How dare he call her by her first name like they were close? He signaled for Nancy to leave them alone. When she had exited his office, Amaya looked back at him with great dislike.

"Tell me you're playing some kind of cruel joke with me. You want to _date _me? You're joking, right?" The word 'date' was like poison on her tongue. Silence hung over the both of them. Amaya waited anxiously for his answer (which hopefully was 'yes') while he took in the sight of her.

In his opinion, she had good taste in clothes. It was sexy but modest at the same time. Her face had a soft sort of beauty. Her light blue eyes contrasted her ebony hair very well. Amaya was getting impatient. "Well? Why don't you answer me?"

She jumped slightly when he got up. His towering height was overwhelming but she stood her ground. He leaned forward on his desk, closer to her. "The note wasn't a joke. I want to take you out on a date. Tonight would be good if you're not busy." She scowled.

"No way," she whispered. "I would never date someone like you. NEVER!" She was shaking with anger now. Who did he think he is? He acted like she'll go out with him if he simply said 'I want to take you out to a date.' She never dated a guy and wasn't interested in dating one. She just wasn't ready yet. She certainly wasn't going to go on a first date with _this _guy. Amaya turned towards the door to leave but his words stopped her.

"I always get what I want, Amaya. You will come around soon," he said confidently. She gritted her teeth and stomped out of his office. He just smirked after her. "Amaya just hates my guts, doesn't she?"

When Amaya's dad came home that night, she discovered that his boss had a talk with him. _More like threatening my dad_, Amaya thought. She sat on the couch while her dad pleaded with her. She crossed her arms while her dad wearily begged her.

"Please, Amaya, just one date," he begged. "If you don't, I'll be fired. And I can't quit either, we need the money!" He added after she suggested that he stop working there permanently.

"Dad," she whined. "He is a complete...ugh!" She couldn't say the word since Mr. Akimoto didn't approve of foul language. "The point is I hate him! Like with you, he threatens you with your job if I don't date him. What kind of person is that? I want to date someone nice, not someone who's a complete asshole." The word accidentally escaped her lips.

"AMAYA!"

"Sorry..."

"Amaya, please..." He resumed his begging. She looked up at the ceiling than at him. He sighed. "Look, I didn't want to tell you this but my mother, your grandma, she's sick." This caught Amaya's attention.

"Grandma's sick? How come you didn't tell me sooner?"

"She didn't want you to worry about her. Her hospital bills are expensive and I've been helping her pay them. That's why I've been working later nights. I don't want to lose her, Amaya," he said. He broke down in tears. She looked away with guilt.

"Maybe just one date..." She said weakly.

A/N: Sorry I just couldn't resist adding that part with Jounouchi; I just had to do something to break the depressing mood of this story. haha I love misunderstandings. Was anybody really surprised by abusive Kaiba? I'll explain Amaya's dream. It's like this: the five doors were supposed to represent the five men in her life. They are her dad, Kaiba, Rishid, Malik and Hoshi but I changed it. The dream would last longer if I hadn't. There was supposed to be a scene with Malik. In the dream, Amaya vaguely remembers her relationship with Kaiba. Like the things that happened between them but not everything. Let's just say that she has a feeling that she has experienced those emotions before while with him. Please review!

**Deleted Scenes**

1) (This is supposed to be after Amaya wakes up from her dream) "When did you get here?" Amaya said, covering herself with the comforter. She didn't know that he watched her sleep. He reached out towards her. She backed against the headboard. "Ow..." She bumped her head. His hand was getting closer. She shut her eyes. He wiped away a tear. While she was sleeping, she had shed many tears. She opened her eyes and looked blankly at him.

He missed how her pale azure eyes used to look innocently at him. These lips that used to automatically curl up into a smile when she sees him. How she used to clutch his hand whenever she was with him. How he used to run his fingers through her soft hair when they were alone. How he used to let her rest her head on his shoulder. Now she just looks at him nervously, she doesn't smile warmly, she doesn't reach out for his hand and she was almost afraid of his touch. Ever since she was missing...He was frustrated because she wasn't there. He was the one that hurt Tsuki because it had Amaya's eyes. That was also the reason that Kaiba had gotten her the puppy. One day, it was just whining for some attention. Amaya was the one that usually gave Tsuki attention. He was thinking about how the girl with 'Namu' looked so much like his Amaya. Plus, she was with another guy. Kaiba couldn't stand it anymore. He let his frustration out on the innocent creature.

2) (This is just another one of Amaya's dreams) Before kissing her, sometimes he would trace his fingers across her lips. He could feel it whenever her mouth curves up into a smile. The type of smile that's only directed to him; the type of smile that accompanies eyes that lit-up at the sight of a lover. He could feel her hands on the back of his neck, trying to hold him closer. He could feel her smile on his skin when she presses her lips against his cheek. Whenever she was in his arms, he always pulled her closer until the distance between them was closed. He could hear her light breathing, could take her face in his hands, could look deep into her eyes and could touch her lips with his own until his cell phone rings.

When he was about to reach in his pocket for it, Amaya stopped him. "Don't answer it," she whispered. "Please. Just for one day. Stay with me."

He pulled out the ringing cellphone, much to her disappointment. Instead of answering it, he turned it off and threw it on the floor. Amaya looked at the phone then back at him in shock. Without saying a word, he pulled her into another hug; a tighter hug. Amaya closed her eyes, leaned on his shoulder and breathed in. Her hands encircled his neck while his hands held onto her waist. "Thank you," she whispered into his ear. In response, he kissed her neck.

It was a heavenly feeling but somehow, she couldn't enjoy it. "Open your eyes." Amaya slowly opened her eyes and stared in shock at the little girl in front of her. The two-year-old little girl with the brown hair and light-blue eyes; _her _light-blue eyes to be exact. She had on pink footy pajamas with the word 'Ai' sewn in cursive lettering. Amaya looked around in the bedroom and found that Kaiba was nowhere to be seen. She looked down when she felt a little tug on her skirt, the little girl was smiling cutely at her with her arms wide open. _She wants me to hold her_, Amaya realized.

She bent down to the little girl's height and lifted her into her arms. The little girl gently pulled Amaya's strands of black hair and giggled. "Ai," Amaya whispered weakly. "It's really you." Her eyes filled up with tears. She let out a sob, holding tighter to Ai. The child noticed her mother crying and reached up to wipe a tear with her tiny hand. As if to comfort Amaya, Ai cooed incoherently, with what Amaya supposed, were words of comfort. Amaya smiled and kissed the top of Ai's head. She giggled again. It was like music to Amaya's ears. She was happy to be able to hear her giggle. "Ai, you don't know how happy I'm feeling to have you right here with me." Amaya buried her face in Ai's soft hair. Ai rested her head on Amaya's chest in response, causing Amaya to smile. "I guess you're tired already." Ai yawned, coiled Amaya's hair around her fingers and closed her eyes. _I know this is a dream but I don't want to wake up. I don't want to leave Ai anymore. I'm her mom. I want to be able to be close to her. Please I want to be...Please. _The bedroom was starting to fade. Amaya held on tighter to Ai's body but she wouldn't be able to prevent her baby from fading. The second time of saying good-bye was even more painful than the first time.

Everything was gone. "Why does it have to end this way? How come!" Amaya sat limply on the cold dark floor. She was completely surrounded with nothing but darkness. _I had her right in my arms. Why do I have to say good-bye again?_ Suddenly, a pair of arms hugged her from behind. Amaya gasped at the unexpected touch. Her hands touched one of the arms that encircled her. She noticed that the golden jewelry that the person was wearing. _Malik-sama! _

"Malik-sama?"

"Stop crying," he whispered. He didn't seem to hear her. "She wouldn't want to see her mother crying.

3) (This is after Rishid's and Jounouchi's duel) As Amaya lay on the bed with her eyes peacefully closed and her chest rising up and down gently, she was unaware of the ongoing duels that went on outside of her new room. Ever since she 'stopped' caring about Malik, Amaya's body started to weaken more and more. She started to eat less and slept more. In addition to that, she also cried more in her sleep. Nobody really knew what was wrong, not even Kaiba's personal doctors. The only thing that they suggest was to let her sleep and dream. Since Kaiba was busy with the tournament, once in a while, Mokuba or Shizuka (who couldn't help but worry about her) comes by her room and wipes away her continuous tears. Whenever they visit her, she's always asleep and her meals have been left untouched for days now.

If a stranger were to view her from the distance, he/she would think that Amaya was peacefully sleeping dreaming of the sweet days. They wouldn't know that this sleeping girl was dealing with such painful past secrets that her own mind rejected. Though little by little all of her painful memories were slowly starting to penetrate into the walls of her mind.

Mokuba lifted the cover of the plate and saw that the food was untouched...again. He noticed that it's been like the morning after Mai and Malik's duel. He was happy that his brother was noticeably happier in finding his significant other but now he was even more worried. Although, Seeing Amaya with no luster in her and her body limp on a bed was killing his brother on the inside. Mokuba tucked a loose strand of black hair behind her ear. She looked like she was having a nice dream by the looks of her serene face. Then like before, a look of anguish passes over her face and tears roll down to the pillow. Her dreams were repetitive. What exactly was she dreaming about? Suddenly, she sobbed and cried out in pain but she was still asleep.

"Amaya-chan? Amaya-chan! It's okay! Just wake up!" He cried but as he shook her, she was still trapped in the dream world. "Somebody, somebody help!" He ran out of the room to find help.


	23. Screams That Cannot Be Heard

Title: Aishiteru, Malik-sama (I Love You, Master Malik)

Author: Shoujo's Revenge

Disclaimer: Kazuki Takahashi owns the Yu-Gi-Oh series.

A/N: There's only two more chapters to go.

Chapter 22: Screams That Cannot be Heard

_"Lost in the darkness  
Hoping for a sign  
Instead there's only silence  
Can't you hear my screams?_

_Never stop hoping_  
_Need to know where you are_  
_But one thing's for sure_  
_You're always in my heart"_

-Within Temptation, _"Somewhere"_

As she laid on the bed with the blue comforter covering her bruised body, she felt like she wanted to cry. However, she was too tired to cry anymore. She had cried too much during this crazy journey. All for what? It was just for the purpose of trying to find out her identity, to go back to her true family and to find out about her past. Now she found herself regretting everything; regretted that she met Malik, regretted that she fell for him; regretted that she came to Battle City and regretted she met her true lover. She closed her eyes and just blocked everything out. Maybe if she just laid here then maybe she'll disappear from here and wake up to find herself back home. Was there a god that merciful? She wished someone, anyone, would help her.

She slowly raised her head and glared at the clock. It was almost eleven thirty. He had already left half an hour ago. Amaya's face creased with disgust, anger and misery. Her eyes couldn't produce any more tears. Everything between him and her were fine until he...There was a knot in her stomach. She didn't want to believe it. Why? Why did he hurt her that way? An array of different emotions coursed through her. Amaya didn't know what she was supposed to do now. She was basically alone now. Rishid was unconscious possibly never to wake up again. Malik was literally a different person now. Her hope had come in the form of her boyfriend who had failed to give her any. These other finalists...They had better things to worry about.

The gloominess of the dark room didn't help improve her mood. She put a hand on the bed and pushed her body up. Amaya cast a look around the room. In the moonlight streaming from the window, she could see her clothes strewn carelessly on the sofa. They wouldn't serve much of a purpose now; they were ripped off her body. They would serve more as cleaning rags. Getting up from the bed, she ran clumsily to the dresser. She let out a loud and pained scream while rummaging through a drawer. She had to let out all her frustration and all her pain somehow. Right now screaming was the best way to do it. One by one the tears accompanied her screams. She collapsed to the floor and beat the floor with her fists. "WHY!"

Meanwhile, Yugi and his friends were informed that they were almost to Alcatraz Island where the finals were going to be held. Shizuka wasn't paying much attention. She was sitting next to the bed in which an unconscious Mai lie. Suddenly, she started to think of Amaya. Where was she now? The last time she saw her was yesterday when Kaiba carried her away. She saw him this morning but she hadn't seen her black-haired friend. _I hope you're okay, Amaya-chan. Now that Bakura-san is also unconscious..._

"Shi-chan, what's wrong?" Anzu asked her.

"I'm just worried," Shizuka said simply, looking at the floor.

"About what?" The others looked at her without her being aware of it.

"About Amaya-chan. I haven't seen her at all today."

"She's probably just sleeping late," Jounouchi answered casually.

"It's funny that you should mention that girl. I finally remembered where I saw her from before," Honda piped in. "Her picture was on a flyer I saw posted on a lamppost. It said that she was missing and whoever had information on her whereabouts would be awarded 10,000,000.00 yen. She's Kaiba's girlfriend. She had been missing since the start of this tournament." This news shocked everyone in the room.

"No wonder Kaiba-san kept staring at her," the auburn haired girl whispered.

_That would explain why Kaiba was worried when he heard her scream. The staff seemed to know her name, too. _Yugi thought. He remembered when he heard some of suited men talking and mentioned her name. Exactly what they said, he didn't remember.

Clad in a white long-sleeved shirt and black shorts, Amaya wrapped her arms around herself. The cold wind whipped her slightly wavy hair (because she didn't comb it) and her bare legs. To one's eyes, she was just a soul, a confused and empty soul. Her empty blue eyes took in none of her surroundings; they were downcast. Her slippered feet trudged down the hallway, doors closed on either side. She didn't know where she was nor where she was going. She just wanted to escape to somewhere, anywhere. The moon shone upon her but its soft light didn't give her any comfort. Her stomach growled but she ignored it. "Nothing," she suddenly muttered. She realized she had absolutely nothing to live for now.

All this time all she wanted was to meet Seto Kaiba because he could help her to regain her memories. Now her goal was completely useless. If Kaiba treated her that way, what was the point of remembering? She'd probably dig up painful memories of all those things that he did to her. Her legs took off at an incredible speed. There was no point in living anymore. She'd jump off the blimp. She could do it now. Nobody was awake to stop her. The dueling platform was the perfect place to end it all.

On top of the blimp, a duel was going on between two dark entities. Dark Malik was dueling dark Bakura. The latter was quickly losing. Parts of his body was slowly dissipating into darkness. It didn't help that Malik's soul was constantly berating him for being careless. He was seriously getting on Bakura's nerves. The other Malik's next move didn't improve the situation. He used the Monster Reborn Card to revive Ra from Bakura's graveyard. Amaya arrived at the elevator when she saw Anzu and Yugi there. She was disappointed and confused. What were _they _doing there? On the contrary, they were confused on why _she_ was there.

"Um...Why are you two here?" Amaya asked before she stopped herself. Instead of answering her, Anzu noticed something peeking out from underneath her shirt near the neck area.

"Is that a bruise?" She said and reached out. "It's nothing!" Amaya yelled and slapped her hand away. Yugi and Anzu forgot about their objective briefly as they looked at her strangely. She was acting a bit peculiar. She regretted her rude reaction so she added in a whisper. "I-I am sorry. It's just-um-I kind of bumped into something. It's really nothing. Anyway, I asked you a question: what are you two doing here?" The distraction worked as they told her that they were trying to find Bakura.

"At this time of the night?"

"Then what are _you _doing here at night?" Anzu replied. Amaya bit her lip. She felt ashamed about her intentions to kill herself but if Anzu had known about her situation...

"I had a lot on my mind so I decided to take a walk and felt like coming here." Yugi looked at her sideways, not believing her words. Her facial expression...She looked desperate.

"Anzu, let's go. You should go to bed, Amaya-san," Yugi spoke up. He and Anzu got on the elevator. Amaya made a meek sound causing them to look at her. She looked forlornly at the floor and asked them. "C-can I join you? Please, I don't want to be alone." There was a slight pause.

"Sure," Anzu said with a friendly smile. Amaya thanked her and got on, too.

What the trio saw when they reached up there, they saw the roof completely engulfed in a dark fog. Amaya gave a loud gasp. What the hell was going on? During the tournament, Amaya pretty much avoided watching the duels except for the duel between Jounouchi and Rishid. So she never saw how a shadow duel was actually like. Behind her, Yugi turned into his other self. Anzu and him said something about Bakura possibly dueling Malik. The name caught Amaya's attention. She turned her head towards the dark duel field and muttered his name. "Malik-sama? Malik-sama!"

"Amaya-san!" Anzu called when Amaya ran towards the dueling pair. Yami stared disbelievingly after the dark-haired girl. What was she doing?

All thoughts of suicide was replaced with hatred; hatred for the soul that was inhabiting Malik's body. She wanted the _real _Malik back. "Bastard!" She had a good idea of what he was capable of. She learned that the hard way but she didn't care. All she wanted right now was to see her Malik-sama. Bakura and the two Maliks; the one with the solid body and the other in spirit form turned incredulous eyes towards her.

_Is this girl incredibly stupid? _Bakura thought as he watched her climb onto the field. Malik, on the other hand, took in her disheveled appearance. He didn't know that the melancholic aura about her was partly caused by his disappearance. He assumed that she returned to Kaiba and forgot all about him. "Amaya..." He whispered her name but she could not hear nor see him. Instead, she stood directly in front of his evil half. What happened next completely surprised everyone including Amaya herself. She stared at her hand but regained herself, glaring at the embodiment of hatred. The latter turned towards her, his cheek stinging from her hate-filled slap. Bakura wasn't sure how to react; laugh in amusement or continue to stare in disbelief.

The irony was that out of everybody on the blimp, only _she_, a completely defenseless and insignificant girl was able to hurt him. She had done what most of them wanted to do, to cause him pain for all that he has done.

"Did she just hit him?" Anzu asked Yugi for confirmation. He, too, astounded by her careless and admirable action, just nodded.

"YOU!" Amaya began, her eyes showing her deep hatred. "All you do is hurt everybody and somehow put them in comas! You don't give a damn, do you?" She stopped. Her lips quivered while tears rolled down her cheeks one by one. "I hate you! Give the real Malik-sama back! Bring him back!" She grabbed the front of his shirt. His grip on the Millennium rod tightened. "Do it now! Bring him back!" She continued, pulling hard on his shirt.

It was beginning to annoy him. After all, he had a duel to win. He pushed her roughly to the ground. Amaya was about to attack him again when suddenly she had a migraine. "Ah." Her slight groan turned into an earsplitting scream. Malik realized that his counterpart was using the Millennium item on her mind. He screamed her name as she rolled on the ground being mentally tortured. It was to no avail. His voice could not reach her. Her eyes turned blank, her pupils rolling back into her head. Her body was convulsing with excruciating pain.

"STOP! Stop this right now! Amaya!" Malik screamed, watching the pathetic scene before him. The other Malik was enjoying every second of this. Not only was he causing Amaya pain but his weaker half was hurting as well. He laughed maliciously as his eyes took in the beautiful sight (according to him) of Amaya's writhing body. He loved that Malik was practically begging him to stop the torture.

"At least now you know that she doesn't hate you," he said mockingly. Yugi was furious. This has gone far enough.

Finally, the screaming stopped. Amaya panted heavily, her body still in fits. Dark Malik turned towards Anzu's and Yugi's direction. He had interfered with the torturing of Amaya's mind. Her vision blurred but she could still make out the outlines of the evil Malik's body. She heard bits of the 'conversation' before passing out.

When she came to, she found herself in the hospital wing. Mokuba delivered a bone-crushing hug. "Thank Kami-sama that you're okay!" He cried, tears in his eyes. Amaya winced; he was unknowingly pressing on her bruises. "You were shaking like you were having a seizure! I was so scared!" He buried his head in her shirt. She returned the hug grateful for his concern.

"It's okay. You don't have to be scared. I'm fine," she said softly.

Malik watched the two of them; Amaya in particular. He was standing next to Yugi and Jounouchi but they couldn't see him. He was using Anzu's body for the time being. The evil Malik sent his soul to the shadow realm during the duel with Bakura. The white-haired spirit had also disappeared. He remembered when she foolishly confronted his evil half. _**"Give the real Malik-sama back! Bring him back!"**_ She had screamed. Did she miss him? Did she think about him as much as he thought about her?

"Mokuba, everybody," Amaya's voice broke into his thoughts. She looked around the room at everybody then her eyes stopped on Anzu. Malik froze. Could she possibly sense or see him there? "Could I have some time to myself? Please, I just really want to be alone right now." She looked back at Mokuba who looked up at her from her chest.

"I don't want to leave you!" He cried. He hugged her tighter. Amaya smiled gently. "Please, Mokuba-kun? I promise I'll be okay."

"Can't I keep you company?" he asked childishly. She shook her head. "But I want to protect you from that Malik guy! He hurt you, I know it!" The mention of his name stung her. Malik flinched at the exclamation. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.

"I can take care of myself," she stated simply. The slight cracking of her voice escaped Mokuba's attention.

"But-" Mokuba started but Kaiba came in that moment. Amaya's grip on Mokuba became increasingly strong. "Amaya?" _Is she afraid of something? _Malik noticed that her body stiffened as Kaiba came into the room.

"What's going on in here? Mokuba, where's Amaya?" He asked seriously. Mokuba brightened and jumped out of Amaya's arms. His brother will take care of that Malik guy, he thought. "Nii-sama!" He went to Kaiba's side and explained very briefly that it was Malik's fault. "She was shaking all over. It was scary." Without a word, Kaiba went to her bedside, alarming her. She instinctively backed up on the bed, raising the comforter up to her neck.

"What happened? Did he touch you?" He reached out to stroke her face. The others took the hint; these two needed privacy. Amaya wanted them to stay now. If they stayed, he wouldn't do anything to her. Anzu cast a look back before following the others. The look of pure terror was evident on Amaya's face which stunned Malik. "Well? What did he do to you?" Kaiba prompted. He stroked the side of her face. She closed her eyes, breathing heavily.

"Nothing," she squeaked out.

"You're not supposed to wander around. Haven't you learned your lesson the last time?" His fingers were lost in her messy hair while his thumb caressed her cheek.

"Don't..." She whispered, wincing from his touch. He yanked her head closer and placed his lips on her closed eyelids. Her body started to shake but there was no draft.

"Don't what?" He asked quietly. Amaya pushed him away as he held her closer and closer. His teeth softly nibbling the base of her neck caused her pain. Was he doing this on purpose? He knew perfectly well where all the bruises were. Kaiba pressed hard on the contusion located on the top of her left shoulder and she screamed. The doctor dropped the paper cup that he was holding spilling the water on the floor. His gasp distracted Kaiba who turned to glare at him.

"K-kaiba-sama! I-I was just coming to give h-her pi-pills to help her get to sleep," he stuttered nervously, pointing to the floor where the pills were. He had also dropped them. "I didn't mean to interrupt!" Amaya was glad that he did. Kaiba's hold on her relaxed. She rubbed her shoulder gently.

"Well? Go get them! You don't expect her to take the pills from the floor, do you?" Kaiba said out of annoyance. The doctor shook his head and ran back to the storage room. He glared after the retreating doctor before putting his eyes back on Amaya. She didn't like the look that he had in his eyes. She wanted that doctor to hurry back. "I'm tired. I'm going back to sleep, okay?" She asked him as if she needed his permission.

_

* * *

"You look pretty tonight," Seto complimented Amaya. The latter, sitting across from him, looked away and muttered a 'thank you.' This was their first date. Amaya, not wanting to give him the wrong impression, hadn't spend much time in choosing her outfit. She just chose to wear her school uniform, a cream sweater with the school emblem on the left side and a plaid skirt. He didn't choose to wear anything too fancy either. He was wearing a close-fitting black sweater and beige pants._

The maître d' came around and handed them the menus. Amaya thanked him with a smile. He asked her if they wanted anything to drink. She ordered just a glass of water and he ordered a cup of coffee. He went to get their drinks. There was an awkward silence in which Amaya sought solace behind the menu. There were plenty of appetizing entrees but since she wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible. A _salad will do. I can just eat fast and get out A.S.A.P. I just promised dad one date. _She lowered the menu to find that he had decided what he wants, too. She looked like she would like to murder him.

Evidently, he thought this was funny for he smirked. "If you look cute when you're angry, then your smiling face must be beautiful."

She blushed. That comment caught her off-guard. She shook it off. Amaya Akimoto wasn't one to be easily taken in by sweet talk.

"Cut it out!" She snapped at him. "I just want to get this over with." She admitted bluntly. Amaya avoided his gaze, paying attention to the rose in a glass vase. It sat in the middle of the table. She didn't want to admit it but he looked kind of handsome tonight. _Don't think of something like that! _She mentally scolded herself. _I'll never end up liking this bastard. _She absentmindedly fingered the rose's petals. Oblivious to her sad aura, she began to think if her grandma was okay. _I wonder if grandma is in any pain now? I wish I had known about her illness. _

"Is everything okay, mademoiselle?" The waiter asked her as he put their drinks on the table. Amaya snapped back to reality. She looked at the concerned waiter and lowered her head, nodding. She didn't know that while she was thinking, a tear had slid down her cheek.

"I'm okay," she said, smiling. She thanked him for the drink. He took their orders, collected the two menus and went away again. Her eyes strayed to the next table where a violinist played a soft tune for the occupants. It looked like the man was proposing to his girlfriend. A soft smile played on her lips, bringing out her full beauty. Her date was watching her. He was right after all. She _did _look beautiful with a smile. He was distracted by somebody.

"Would you like to buy a rose for your lady friend, sir?" She asked him, smiling. She was carrying a basket full of roses.

"How many roses do you have?" He asked. Meanwhile, Amaya focused her attention to another table. A different maître d' put on a birthday cake on their table. Amaya's smile widened. The cake was in the shape of a heart with a rose design on the sides. The man, who was her husband, kissed the woman's cheek. She looked away as they started to sing 'Happy Birthday.' She let out a sigh. She wished her food would get there already.

"I hope you enjoy the flowers," the flower lady said to Amaya. The latter was confused. "Huh?" Before she questioned Kaiba, he presented her with a bouquet of roses.

"Beautiful flowers for the beautiful lady," he said, still holding onto them. Amaya made no move to accept them. His comment caused her face to flush. She was almost as red as the roses. She completely forgot that sweet words weren't supposed to affect her.

"Why me?" She asked bluntly. "You're popular with girls, you know. Almost every girl in my school is in your fanclub. I could at least introduce you to ten girls from my school much more beautiful than me. Do you find pleasure in this?"

"Yes, I do find pleasure in being here with you."

"You know what I mean!" She snapped at him again, slamming her hands on the table. Amaya was furious at him. Her dad worked at Kaiba Corporation since before she was even born. His old boss, Gozaburo had never interfered in her life at all. But now with his new boss, Seto Kaiba, Amaya found her world had been turned upside down. Her dad could lose his job any time now just because Amaya wasn't attracted to Kaiba. How dare he think that he could control her dad's life like that, not just his, but hers as well. What was so special about her anyway? What was it about her that made him want to date her? "I'm no one special. You can just have any pretty girl. Why me?" She whispered the last sentence, playing nervously with her red napkin.

"Because you don't care who I am." He said calmly. She raised her eyes to look at him. "The most you know about me probably is that I'm the CEO of Kaiba Corporation and that I used to be the Duel Monsters Champion. When you see me, you don't squeal and jump up and down like an idiot. You don't try to get my attention at all. You don't care about the fact that I'm rich and could destroy you in any moment. When I didn't allow your father to go to your mother's lunchdate, you screamed at me and stood up to me. Your father doesn't have that much guts."

"Don't talk about dad like that! He has enough courage if he has to work for someone like you."

"I couldn't stop thinking about you after you came back to my office to give me that letter." Kaiba continued as if she hadn't interrupted him.

"Try harder not to think about me." She whispered. Her eyes met his for a brief second before looking down again. "I won't fall for someone like you." He was watching her mouth as she uttered those words.

"What makes you think so?" He asked her. Amaya's eyelashes cast a shadow across her cheeks when she closed her eyes.

"A lot of girls especially in my school have romantic hearts. They think that if you meet someone who tries to understand you (and they're usually referring to themselves), then the ice around your heart will melt. Because of the fact that you're rich and good-looking, they think that that's enough. They would consider it lucky if you were to chase after them but to me, none of that is enough. Not that I'm really that interested in having a boyfriend right now but if you-" She opened her eyes again. "or just anybody wants to be with me, I need to know that that person would be willing to hold me when I need it and say 'I love you' when I say it to him. I'm not content with dating someone because of their looks or their status or their money. So you're right; I really don't care about who you are." She looked away from him. Kaiba didn't say anything. The bouquet was still in his hands. He touched her hand with one of his own. She pulled it back quickly but he gently pushed the roses in her hands.

"When the time comes, I'll tell you 'I love you' with your favorite flowers. Your father inadvertently mentioned that you don't like roses much. Say what you want but I'll make you mine. You're the only one I want; not those girls from your school." Kaiba said quietly, getting up and putting the money down for the drinks. He walked out of the restaurant.

Amaya just sat there with the roses in her hand. Her black hair covered the half of her face as she exhaled deeply. A tear landed on one of the rose petals. He was right; she always hated roses. He actually cared enough to learn something as insignificant as that. She left the restaurant, too. His limo was waiting outside so she was driven home. That night she found herself thinking about him instead of the other way around.

_

* * *

A/N: There's probably not a lot of people who like her but yesterday I met Mandy Moore and got her autograph. She's a lovely person although I met her for just five seconds. In my opinion, she's one of the few talented singers in the pop genre. Anyway, in this chapter, Amaya did some really gutsy stuff like slapping the evil Malik. That's just my subtle way of putting comic relief into this chapter._

(1) Please don't think that Kaiba fell in love with Amaya in first sight. He just simply found her to be an interesting person and maybe pretty. Since I don't believe in love at first sight crap, I seldom write about it.

**Edited on 3/01/09: the two final chapters will be coming soon. It's time for me to finally finish this story. If you wish for a faster update, then review.**

**Edited on 6/21/10: I'm still working on the chapters. I apologize for the year long wait. I worked on the chapters on and off in the past then well I lost interest. I'm changing the yen part in this chapter because I said a thousand yen which is only $11 in US dollars. Yeah, Kaiba really loves Amaya enough to want information for her whereabouts for $11. Talk about stupidity on my part. Thanks a lot for the 21 reviews since the last update. You guys make me so happy. **

**Alternate Chapter 22 Beginning**

Amaya ran as fast as her barefeet could carry her. She had ran out of the room as soon as she had woken up. He wasn't there. She didn't want for him to come back. Tears welling up in her eyes, she couldn't see where she was running. The cold wind was nipping her bare skin. In her haste, she had just managed to grab a robe to cover her body. She didn't care what anybody thought. She just wanted to get away from him. Sobbing, she didn't even know where she was going. She passed door after door. It was almost like her dream.

"I want to die," Amaya whispered for the first time. _Where am I supposed to go now? _

Meanwhile, Yugi and his friends were informed that they were almost to Alcatraz Island where the finals were going to be held. Shizuka wasn't paying much attention. She was sitting next to the bed in which an unconscious Mai lie. Suddenly, she started to think of Amaya. Where was she now? The last time she saw her was yesterday when Kaiba carried her away. She saw him this morning but she hadn't seen her black-haired friend. _I hope you're okay, Amaya-chan. Now that Ryou-san is also unconscious..._

"Shi-chan, what's wrong?" Anzu asked her.

"I'm just worried," Shizuka said simply, looking at the floor.

"About what?" The others looked at her without her being aware of it.

"About Amaya-chan. I haven't seen her at all today."

"She's probably just sleeping late," Jounouchi answered casually.

"It's funny that you should mention that girl. I finally remembered where I saw her from before," Honda piped in. "Her picture was on a flyer I saw posted on a lamppost. It said that she was missing and whoever had information on her whereabouts would be awarded one thousand yen. She's Kaiba's girlfriend. She had been missing since before the start of this tournament." This news shocked everyone in the room.

"No wonder Kaiba-san kept staring at her," the auburn haired girl whispered.

_That would explain why Kaiba was worried when he heard her scream. The staff seemed to know her name, too. _Yugi thought. He remembered when he heard some of suited men talking and mentioned her name. Exactly what they said, he didn't remember.

Amaya sat against a door, sobbing into her knees. The white robe barely keep her naked legs and feet warm. She felt more lost than she ever was on this crazy ride. _I just want this nightmare to be over. I want to go home. Please let me go home. _"Please let me go home!" She yelled to the sky. "Please..." She added in a whisper. As if she was mesmerized, her vacant blue eyes looked at the top of the blimp. "I want to go home." She whispered with no feeling. She remembered where the elevator was located. She would go there. Her feet automatically moved forward.

"I want to go see mom and dad and Ai," she muttered on the way. She was unaware that someone was watching her.

She reached the top of the blimp. She smiled and felt the winds whip her long hair across her face. "I can finally go home. I know I can get there..." She walked towards the railing, to the edge. Such a nice and strong breeze. It was a perfect day for flying. She was all alone now. No one on this airship can help her, she'll just find the way home herself. "Malik-sama's gone, Rishid-san's gone, Kaiba..." The last mentioned made her contort with fear. She started to sob again. "If I go home, he can't hurt me again. If I fly away, he can't touch me again." She didn't hesitate in her plan. She swung one leg at a time over the railing, her fingers gripping the railing. She wasn't afraid. She flung herself forward off the blimp. She let go. Her eyes were relaxed and closed.

"NO! AMAYA-CHAN!" A familiar voice screamed out her name but it was too late. She was already flying. At least she thought she was flying. She just couldn't see that she was...falling.

A hand wrapped its fingers her arm tightly. Indistinct voices, the smell of fresh rice, the clinking of bowls, her dad praising her cooking and her mom's kind voice. Amaya wondered. Was she finally home? If she opened her eyes, will she see her mom's face or her dad's face? Then she'll be away from all the sorrow that she was experiencing. Her lost memories, her dead baby, someone she loves gone and someone that hurts her. All these things would be a fading memory.

Isis furrowed her brow. Her hand was clutching Amaya's limp hand. "Please wake up, Amaya-san." When she had awoken yesterday to find Anzu at her door, she had revealed that 'she' was actually Malik. Or part of his spirit remained within Anzu. One of the things that he made her promise was to watch over Amaya. Now that she had seen the girl up close, Isis thought that Amaya was very pretty. If she wasn't so worried, she would've wondered if Malik lov-.

An announcement was suddenly made. They had landed on Alcatraz Island. Isis, of course, remained in her room with both Rishid and Amaya. Shizuka, too, remained on the blimp. The remaining duelists including the spectators; Anzu, Honda, Otogi and Mokuba exited the blimp.

"Mokuba, go get Amaya. I want her to see the moment when I win," Kaiba said to his little brother. He didn't notice his sadness right away then Mokuba sniffled. The latter had seen Amaya leap off. He was the one that screamed out her name. Out of the blue, his whole face was streaming with tears. Kaiba was surprised. "Mokuba, what's wrong? What happened to Amaya?" He demanded in a stern voice. The young Kaiba was convulsed in tears.

"Mokuba?" Anzu asked gently. All of them turned their eyes to the crying boy. They were almost afraid to find out.

"Mokuba! Tell me what's wrong!" Kaiba shook Mokuba violently.

"Am-Amaya-cha-chan. She-she's." His words trembled. "I-I saw her-her jump! I couldn't stop her!" Seto released Mokuba, his eyes widening in shock. An image of his smiling Amaya appeared in his mind. It shattered into a million of glass shards. He stood there, stunned. Mokuba continued to sob.

This was one of the rare times that they felt sorry for him. Jounouchi didn't want his sister to find out about her new friend. They didn't know her well but a life was actually taken. (Or so they thought.)

Many memories ran in his mind. They were memories of time spent with Amaya. His Amaya was gone. The only way he could see her now was in his memories. If only he didn't...The last time he saw her smile was when she was talking to that stupid mutt. That smile wasn't for him. He wanted to see her smile again; smile just for him.

"You're awake," Isis said gently with relief. Amaya sat upright and buried her face in her hands. She felt miserable. She was convinced that she had finally gone home.

"Why did you save me?" Amaya asked gloomily. "Why didn't you let me die?" She sobbed into her knees. "Do you have any idea how painful it is for me to live? I want to go and see Ai."

"Amaya, dear," Isis said with sympathy. She put her hand on one of Amaya's. "I don't know what's making you sad but whatever it is, suicide isn't the answer. Besides, you have someone who cares about you. He made me promise to look after you."

Amaya dropped her head, her tears soaking into the comforter. She let out a cry of despair and leaned forward. Isis held the crying girl.

"Onee-san," Mokuba sniffled.

"Kaiba? You can postpone the finals and-" Yugi insisted but the once Duel Monsters champion interrupted.

"We will go through with the duels as planned." He said coldly.

"But-" Yugi said.

"Postponing the duels won't bring her back." With that said, he walked towards Alcatraz Tower.

"Asshole. He doesn't even care that his girlfriend's dead," Otogi said, glaring at his back. "He only cares about being the number one duelist."

**Alternate Date Scene**

"I couldn't stop thinking about you after you came back to my office to give me that letter." Kaiba continued as if she hadn't interrupted him. Amaya smiled.

"You know, I couldn't stop thinking about you either," she said, her hand on the glass of water that the maître d' brought on a tray. "I remembered when you mocked me and I remembered how much I cried after that. I was so afraid that you would seriously fire my dad and I thought about how much I hated you. And now Kaiba Seto-san, I would love to show you how I really feel for you."

The whole restaurant almost gasped in unison when Amaya threw the water in Kaiba's face. She shook the glass until the last drop of water was emptied. She got up and told Kaiba politely that the date was over. Everybody started to gossip at once as Amaya left the restaurant. Kaiba Seto had been rejected by a girl? Furious, he got out his wallet to slam some money on the table. The maître d' was too afraid to retrieve the money until the young CEO left the restaurant.

Amaya stood on the curb to hail for a taxi by waving one hand in the air.

"Come here," Kaiba growled, grabbing her waving arm with her struggling against him.

"What the hell are you doing? Let me go!" Ignoring her protests, he just pushed her into his limo, seated himself beside her and slammed the door. "Didn't you hear me? I said our date is over!"

"It's not over until I say it's over."


	24. The Girl At the Christmas Party

Title: Aishiteru, Malik-sama

Author: Shoujo's Revenge

**IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: Amaya begins to remember all the memories in this chapter. I'm also sorry for taking five years to update. Well, this is for the readers/reviewers who are still reading. If you're a new or an old reader, please review so I'll be inspired to write more. There's two more chapters left to go.**

Chapter 23: You Were (The Girl at the Christmas Party)

The husky put his nose down on the ground trying to sniff out Mokuba's scent. He padded down hallway after hallway yelping for help. He would find the caring boy so he could stop his owner's loved one from hurting her. He wasn't successful in locating his scent though he picked up the scent of food. He followed the sweet scent until he located the source behind a closed door. The door opened to reveal Yugi staring at the puppy. Tsuki bounded at the feet of Jounouchi who was about to eat a piece of cake. He barked, pawing at his legs.

"Whose dog is that?" Anzu asked.

"It looks like it belongs to Kaiba," Honda said, noting the KC logo on his collar. "How are you doing, little fella?" He scratched his head. Tsuki groaned. Amaya used to stroke him like that. It remembered the fearful sounds coming from the closed door after it was thrown out of Amaya's room by Kaiba. His owner needs help! It bit Honda's pantleg. Everybody laughed except for Honda.

"Like owner, like dog, I suppose." Anzu picked up the desperate puppy. "Come here, little puppy. Why you biting Honda for? Are you hungry? It says here his name is Tsuki."

"What's wrong, Shizuka-chan?" Otogi asked, noticing her expression.

A knock came at the door. Yugi, the closest one to the door, opened it to see two suited men standing there. Jounouchi came up behind Yugi.

"What's up? Did we finally arrive to the last sight of the finals?" He asked.

"Not exactly. We were wondering if any of you've seen Amaya-sama? She's been missing since this morning." The first man asked, showing them a picture. It was one of the flyers that Honda had seen around Domino City. Anzu came up to them, snatching the picture from the surprised man. Malik in spirit form stared down at the picture. "Have you seen her, young lady?"

Anzu shook her head, wondering why she was holding a flyer. The second man saw the puppy in her arms.

"What's Amaya-sama's dog doing here? You kids, you better not be lying! Do you know what'll happen to us if we don't find his precious-oof!" The first man elbowed the second man.

"Calm down, you idiot." He turned back to Yugi and Jounouchi. "I'll ask you again: have you seen Amaya-sama at all today?"

They answered in the negative. In the back of the room, Shizuka looked even more distraught, wringing her hands. As if it wasn't enough that three people were rendered unconscious now her new friend was missing.

"Well, if you do see her, please bring her to us. Mokuba-sama is worried. I will take the dog." He took the whimpering animal from Anzu's arms. Tsuki looked back at the group, barking. His sky blue eyes reminded Malik of Amaya's eyes. Like hers, his were filled with turmoil.

"Amaya-san...missing." Shizuka whispered, her knuckles turning white. This tournament was like the setting of a horror movie. Jounouchi noticed his sister's sadness, oblivious of a figure careening into the door as it was being closed.

"Ow..." A voice whined behind the door. Yugi abruptly opened the door to see a dark-haired girl clutching her nose.

"Amaya-san?" They cried simultaneously, breaking the tension. Amaya quickly shushed them up. Their shouts could've been heard by the suits.

"Geez, I'm sorry. I didn't see you." Yugi said, closing the door.

Amaya brushed it off with a wave of her hand. "I'll be fine. Do any of you know which room Rishid is staying in? I don't know where he disappeared to. Ah! Shizuka-chan?" She was knocked over by Shizuka's crushing hug. "Ow...again." Amaya rubbed her head, having bumped it on the floor.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Amaya-san! Are you okay?" She helped Amaya up.

"Truthfully, no." She saw double of everyone in the room.

"What are you doing here? Kaiba's men were just looking for you." Otogi said as she was helped to a chair by Shizuka.

"Oh, please don't tell them that you saw me!" She clutched Shizuka's hand. "I know I'm not exactly in a position to ask favors. I don't want to see Kaiba right now." She lowered her gaze. Shizuka squeezed her hand.

"It'll be okay. We'll help you," she said, smiling sweetly.

"Shizuka-chan. That's so sweet of you." Amaya looked into the eyes of her friend. _Thanks, Shizuka-chan._ Amaya grabbed her in a hug.

Mokuba turned around to see their maids and bodyguards report on their searches for the elusive girl. Needless to say, Kaiba wasn't happy with their nil findings except for when a restless Tsuki showed up, barking at him. He picked it up by the back of his neck, causing him to yelp in pain. Mokuba rescued him from his grip.

"I think he's hungry, Seto. I'll bring him to the kitchen to feed him." Tsuki settled comfortably in his arms.

"Later. We can use this mutt to find Amaya. It's finally of some use to me." Kaiba brought out Amaya's handkerchief to allow the puppy to sniff it. Traces of her lilac scent alerted his senses. His owner! Where was she? Mokuba set him down on the floor. The puppy immediately sprang into action.

"It worked, nii-sama! Good boy, Tsuki! You'll get a reward pretty soon."

Tsuki wasn't listening. He only wanted his owner back.

Shizuka pulled Amaya away at arm's length. "What's wrong, Amaya-san? Did you and Kaiba-san have a fight?" Amaya nodded. Technically, it wasn't much of an argument, it was more like blatant abuse. Luckily, she was wearing a long-sleeved clothes or they'd see all the bruises. Anzu offered her a tissue box. Amaya thanked her. Malik couldn't do anything to help; he just watched Anzu pat her arm. He was just glad that she was safe and sound.

"I'm sure things will blow over soon. Don't worry. Arguments are normal in relationships." Anzu said. Amaya just continued to wipe her eyes.

"I'm sorry, you guys. I scared off your friends with my crying."

"It's fine. They needed to get ready for the next duels anyway. Maybe Kaiba will be in a better mood once the duels start again."

"What were you guys fighting about anyway?" Shizuka asked, pouring her a cup of tea. A momentary look of pain crossed Amaya's face so she dropped the subject. "Here you go: a cup of tea. It's already cold but I hope it makes you feel better." Anzu went to the next room to get the snacks that Jounouchi took to his room.

"Thanks." Amaya made to take it from Shizuka when a sudden jerk of the airship caused the tea to splatter on her shirt.

"Oh, oops! I'm sorry!" Amaya pulled the wet fabric from her chest, smiling. It actually cheered her up to have cold tea spilled on her. In fact, she started to crack up; Shizuka's clumsiness really suited her personality.

"That's okay, Shi-chan. It's nothing to be stressed about." She helped Shizuka pick up the broken shards.

"I'll call room service to bring you a new shirt. It's okay. I'll just tell them it's for me." Shizuka said after throwing away the teacup. "Um. Do you think Kaiba-san will be mad that I broke his tea cup?" She added sheepishly. Amaya giggled again.

"I doubt he'll notice. He probably has a thousand cups. Wow, I feel pretty good right about now." She stretched her arms. Shizuka gaped, noticing contusions peeking out from Amaya's sleeves. A voice from the other end of the line told her that she contacted room service. She slammed the phone down before it could ask her what she wanted. "Shizuka? What's wrong?"

She went to the cheerful Amaya and grabbed her arm, pulling the sleeve up. She gasped. For a moment, she hoped that it was just her imagination. The proof was right in front of her very eyes: an arm full of scratches and black and blue blotches. The fear was back in Amaya's eyes. Her heart jumped. Someone found out. Amaya dropped to her knees, pleading.

"Please don't tell," she whispered.

"Kaiba-san did that to you, didn't he?" Amaya pulled down her sleeve.

"Actually, I'm a bit of a masochist."

"Liar!"

The sound of the door opening caused the two girls to jump out of their skin. Anzu cheerfully announced that she obtained the baked goods back from Jounouchi.

"What are you doing down there, Amaya-san?"

"Oh, I-" Shizuka interrupted her.

"She was wiping up the tea I accidentally spilled. Sorry, I can be such a klutz sometimes."

_"Thanks." _She mouthed behind Anzu's back. Shizuka felt ashamed. Of all the secrets in the world, this was one she didn't want to keep. She pulled Amaya to a corner, not knowing how to begin.

"Amaya-san, why is he hitting you?" She whispered then regretted it. The reason didn't matter. It was never right for a person to hit another person. "Does it hurt?"

"I told you, didn't I? He didn't have anything with this. I like hurting myself when I'm alone. " She avoided her eyes. "I don't want to talk about this. Just forget about it." Oblivious to the topic of their conversation, Anzu munched on a cookie, thinking how cute the younger girls were. It was like watching two junior high girls whispering about a cute boy.

_I'm starving. _Amaya took a seat across from Anzu. Breakfast was not an option when she had decided to run away this morning. There was no place to run a thousand feet up in the air. Still, she'd rather be with some friendly faces than cower alone in her room. She was thankful that they didn't view her as a nuisance.

Tsuki was exhausted in his quest for Amaya's warm arms. He came to a stop outside the same room that he smelled the delectable smell of cake from earlier. Mokuba picked the puppy as he pressed his paw on the door. Kaiba brought his fist down on the door. He couldn't believe that he had to deal with Yugi's little friends again. He'd have to set Amaya straight on avoiding certain types of people later.

On the other side of the door, the three girls could hear barking in response to the knocking. The third cookie she was about to eat dropped from her frozen fingers. Shizuka watched her jolt up from her seat. Anzu instructed her to hide in the bathroom. Amaya did so, locking the door as a precaution.

Anzu made sure that the bathroom door was closed before opening the door. Kaiba glowered at her. He never seemed to be pleasant, she noted.

"Hi, Anzu. We were wondering if Amaya is here," Mokuba said, trying to control the squirming Tsuki.

"I'm sorry, Mokuba. We haven't seen her. Shizuka and I were just talking about where she could be." Kaiba shoved her aside.

"Your performance needs a little work, Mazaki. Amaya, I know you're here! Your little mutt sniffed you out." He abruptly went to the bathroom door. Amaya backed away in horror as the doorknob jiggled.

"She doesn't want to talk to you! I don't know what you were arguing about but she was crying earlier." Anzu piped up. Kaiba pounded on the door, ignoring the brunette.

Amaya debated whether she should give herself up. Maybe he would be lenient on her now that the finals were almost coming to an end. On the other hand, she could escape out the window. Shizuka and her friends would be fine, right? Kaiba wouldn't do anything to them, would he? _No, of course not. They'll be fine. _

"Amaya, I'll give you to the count of three. You better come out-" Tsuki managed to jump out of Mokuba's arms. _**Arf! Arf! Arf! **_"Quiet down, you stupid mutt!"

"Shh, don't anger Seto, Tsuki. You'll see Amaya soon enough." Mokuba coaxed. Seto grabbed the puppy by the back of his collar, cutting off his air supply. Amaya heard his strangled cry and Mokuba's protests, her fingers digging into her palm.

"Tsuki...No, please, please stop hurting him." She fumbled with the lock, stumbling in her steps. She snatched the puppy from his grip, huddled on the floor. "Don't hurt him anymore. Please just stop." _Tsuki, I'm sorry. Because of me, you keep suffering. _Tsuki's body trembled in her embrace. She stroked his back gently. She didn't want to look up at _him_. He who looked down to everybody, even an innocent puppy. Shizuka ran forward past Kaiba to help the downtrodden girl. Tsuki reached up to lick Amaya's face, trying to drink her tears. Shizuka and Tsuki were both a barrier, a very thin one, between her and her oppressor. Amaya placed her canine companion in Shizuka's arms. She broke through the barrier to get to him.

She extended her hands to claim his and Mokuba's hand. She gave up trying to run away from him. It was time for them to have a talk.

Kaiba couldn't believe his ears. Everything was starting to make sense. What she was doing with Malik in the first place, why she didn't recognize him or Mokuba when they saw her for the first time in months, why she was running away from him now. Her past memories of their relationship, of everything were gone.

"You forgot everything even the time you gave me those ridiculous looking cookies shaped like the Blue Eyes White Dragon?" A hint of a smile played on his lips of that memory. Amaya concentrated on her clasped hands resting on her lap.

"I remember some things little things like when we had our first date, about my dad, my mom, about Hoshi-san-" Kaiba slammed his fists on the table. His little brother and Amaya winced.

"Don't ever mention him in front of me again!" The window reflected his furious expression. That bastard tried to touch Amaya at one time. Nobody was allowed to touch her except for him. She was his sole property.

She had spent the time in Kaiba's room explaining to the Kaiba brothers what had occurred when she woke up in Egypt, leaving out the part about Ai, her secret feelings for Malik and her unfortunate encounters with Hoshi. Her account filled up the gaps of what happened to her in those torturous months of wondering whether she was safe. Mokuba sat beside her linking their arms together. He said encouraging words, squeezed her hand. His presence was reassuring. Kaiba wouldn't have the courage to put his hands on her with him there.

Kaiba watched the Alcatraz tower looming ahead.

He couldn't possibly describe how important Amaya was to him.

His fixation with her started six years ago at a Christmas party when he was ten years old. It was during a company Christmas party held by his stepfather, the CEO of KaibaCorp. Surprising as it may be, Gozaburo Kaiba actually cared for his employees enough to put together a festive gathering. The guests even felt comfortable enough to bring their children. Seto and Mokuba was avoiding the attention of all the adults and stayed away from the kids. Why did they need to socialize with the other kids? They were hanging around the main office of Gozaburo Kaiba. As Seto was about to move his chess piece forward, the door started to open, surprising the brothers. What if that was their adopted dad coming to yell at them? To their relief, a little girl with pigtails tied by red bows peeked at them.

"Excuse me. Do you know where the bathroom is?" Her eyes were puffy and red.

"Are you lost?" Mokuba asked, getting up from his seat. They were the same age. The little girl nodded, inching closer into the office. Seto noticed that she was clutching two brightly wrapped gifts. "We can find the bathroom together if you want. What's your name?"

"Thanks! My name is Amaya Akimoto. My daddy works here." She said, smiling. "Does your daddy work here, too?"

"Our father is the president of this company," Seto said coldly. "The bathroom's down the hall to the left. You can go by yourself. We're kind of busy here." He turned back to the chess game. His rudeness didn't faze her one bit. Mokuba seemed worried that his brother brushed her off.

"Oh! You're Mokuba and Seto Kaiba. My daddy told me his boss adopted two kids. My daddy bought you guys presents. Here." Mokuba was stunned as she passed him two of the colorful packages. "You want some cookies, too? I have enough for all of us."

"No, that's okay. Thanks for the presents." The little boy shook the contents of the box. Seto wasn't mildly interested. It was just a sad attempt on her father's part to kiss up to his boss. Amaya noticed the unhappy boy. She never met a child who was so nonchalant about Christmas gifts.

"Mokuba-kun?" She guessed.

"Yes?" Mokuba said.

"Is your brother sad?"

"No, I would like you to go away so we can resume our game," Seto snapped. Amaya looked at the chessboard then moved to Mokuba's seat. There was a pause in which Mokuba wondered if she was going to ask to play. Then with a swipe of her hand, the chess pieces and board tumbled to the floor.

"There, your game is finished. Now you can talk to me." Seto wasn't exactly amused. He stood up, slamming his hands down on the table. He gritted his teeth, glaring at the girl.

"What do you think you're doing, you stupid girl!" Seto roared.

"You're supposed to thank people who give you presents! You're not very smart if you don't know that." She countered back, her hands on her hips.

"I don't care about your stupid present! Your father only got us them so he can kiss my father's ass." He stomped on one of the gift boxes he snatched from Mokuba as the two younger kids watched in horror. Amaya whimpered. An astonishing thing happened next. She jumped on Seto, who was so unprepared that he toppled to the floor.

"Say sorry!" The stubborn boy would never comply to a little girl's demand. She was sitting on top of his stomach, glaring down at him.

"Amaya-chan..." Mokuba never thought any kid would have guts enough to force Seto to do anything. The door started to open. Amaya's dad was horrified at the sight of his daughter causing trouble again.

He was accompanied by Gozaburo who seemed amused by their predicament. Her father was rather embarrassed. Here she was wearing a fancy Christmas dress and her hair up in neat pigtails roughhousing with his boss' son.

"Amaya! What are you doing? I thought I told you to stay out of trouble. I'm so sorry, Mr. Kaiba, sir. I can't believe she would go this far," he said, picking his daughter off the boy.

"He started it first!"

"Quiet, Amaya!" The little girl was abashed by her father's loud voice.

"That's quite all right, Akimoto. Let's hear what Seto did first to garner her displeasure." He knelt down to Amaya's height. "What did he do to make you so angry, little girl?"

"It's what he didn't do. He didn't say thank you for the presents I gave him and he ignored me when I was talking to him."

Seto couldn't believe his ears. She was actually snitching on him to Gozaburo. "This is ridiculous." He began though his adopted father put up a hand to silence him.

"I'm sorry, Amaya-chan." Mokuba said for him.

"Mokuba, don't say sorry. There's nothing to apologize for. This girl was bothering us first."

"Hmph, all I did was ask for the way to the bathroom." Amaya puffed out her cheeks. "Mr. Kaiba, you should teach him some manners." The suggestion made Seto flush with anger and embarrassment on her own father's part.

"A-Amaya, how could you be so rude! I am so sorry, Mr. Kaiba. I'm sure your sons are fine boys. My daughter can be a loudmouth sometimes." Akimoto had to cover her mouth before she could counter. Gozaburo burst out laughing. It was a good indication that he was drunk.

"I just wish I could have a daughter with such a strong will. She's something special if she'll stand up to a Kaiba. Now I think you owe her an apology, Seto."

"I refuse to! She was the rude one interrupting our game. She should apologize to _us_."

"It's okay. Let's just forget about it. It's just a minor incident. Come along Amaya." Akimoto tried to fix the situation.

Amaya looked up at her dad. "Wait! He's right, daddy. I did interrupt their game. I'm sorry." She bowed slightly and ran up to Seto, who backed away instinctively. She smiled sincerely, looking up at the tall boy. Now that they were close, he noticed her eyes were clear sky blue in contrast to his deep ocean blue eyes. "Today is Christmas but you're not smiling. Maybe this will make you feel better." She stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Merry Christmas, Seto, Mokuba!" Without batting an eye, Amaya ran out of the office.

"Ah, wait, Amaya!" Her father started to run after the jovial girl. Mokuba cradled his face in his hands, shocked. He wasn't the only one.

Seto's first kiss was by a boisterous little girl. Seto touched the spot as if to confirm whether it actually happened. Could it be that he was defeated by a little girl?

This girl stayed in his mind afterwards.

Six years after the incident, Amaya Akimoto forgot all about her first meeting with the Kaiba brothers. The original CEO of KaibaCorp died under mysterious circumstances so the eldest son had to take over the reins. The company that originally built machines for war was changed to a gaming company. Nonetheless, her dad was still able to keep his job. She was currently in her last year of junior high school about to enter high school. The only problem is that she still had to pass an entrance exam for her selected high school. She was under terrible stress though the cause wasn't because of the exam, it was because of peer pressure.

"Seto Kaiba. That's all they talk about nowadays." Miiko sighed, annoyed. Amaya looked behind her at the group of girls giggling at the back of the classroom. An English textbook was sitting open in front of her.

"Just ignore them." Her eyes were glued to her textbook again. English were one of the subjects that she had trouble with. Miiko smiled at how Amaya was glaring at the book. She slammed the book closed. Amaya looked annoyed at her.

"So Amaya, your dad works for him, right? What's he like up close?" Miiko asked slyly.

"Not this again. I told you I've never met him before. Now what does this say?" Amaya tried to distract her with the textbook. Miiko pushed it away.

"You must've seen him once or twice when you visit your dad at work. Doesn't he hold office parties?"

"Not really. He's not exactly sociable. When are you going to stop with this?"

"When you get a boyfriend," she said seriously.

"I'll get one when I'm good and ready." Amaya returned to studying. "Besides _you_ should worry about getting a boyfriend. I'm not in a hurry." She sighed. "Why do we need to learn this crap?"

"You're no fun, Amaya. And for your information, boys are more interested in you than me. I could be your matchmaker. Hey Amaya?" Silence. "You're such a nerd." Defeated, Miiko went back to studying. Behind the textbook, Amaya rolled her eyes at the thought of boys chasing after her. That'll be the day.

Amaya came home immediately after school just in time to find some disappointing news. She entered the kitchen to find her mom talking on the phone. From the tone of her voice, she was disappointed about something.

"Yes, of course I understand. You don't have to be sorry, dear." Amaya set down her school bag on the floor. Her mom turned around to see her standing there. "Oh, Amaya, you're home. How was school today?"

"Fine. Miiko was annoying me about something though. Were you just talking to dad?"

"Yes. He won't be able to make it for dinner. Looks like it'll be just the two of us."

"But it's your birthday! We're supposed to celebrate it together. Can't he take a break?"

"Amaya, what is he supposed to do? His boss wants him to work overtime for a proposal. You can't just expect him to drop work just like that."

"We planned this for a while now. Can't he just- I know, I'll just talk to Mr. Kaiba. He'll understand. " Mrs. Akimoto spat out her tea. Amaya put on the uniform jacket back on.

While Amaya had changed considerably from when she was a little girl as she was more calmer and much more reasonable now. Mrs. Akimoto was informed six years ago of what Amaya did to Seto Kaiba when they met. It was typical behavior for the little girl but to have such an encounter with the boss' son! Thankfully, Gozabaru had been too drunk to remember the incident.

"Amaya, you will not do such a thing! You'll only end up getting your father fired. As if what you did six years ago wasn't enough." Amaya was confused. What was she talking about?

"I only want to make your day special. I'll be back soon!" Amaya ran out of the house before her mom could stop her. Mrs. Akimoto quickly picked up the phone and started to dial a number.

"Such a big dragon..." Amaya commented an hour later, looking up at the towering Blue Eyes White Dragon statue acting as protector of the KaibaCorp building. She seldom went into this building though she vaguely remembered a few times of when her dad used to bring her as a child. For a wild second, she wondered if she was making a wise decision. She firmly reprimanded herself. Her mom had done a lot for her in the past; she might as well swallow her fear and go through it. So she entered the building, hoping that no one would try to stop her. The security guard didn't say anything to her though he did nod.

"G-good afternoon." She said awkwardly. He smiled. Amaya thought that maybe she'd ask him if his boss was even in as a way to stall. The thought was brushed aside. This was crazy! Seto Kaiba was a human being like her. If she'd ask him nicely, perhaps he'd let her father off for the day. With that hope, she procceeded to the elevators hoping that at least one person would inform her on the floor he resided.

"Are you lost?" The secretary asked Amaya as she approached the desk. She opened her mouth.

"What is this little girl doing here?" Asked a voice from behind her.

Instinctively, Amaya snapped at the person addressing her so rudely. "I am not a little girl!" She gasped, taking a good look at the rude person. Seto Kaiba stared down at her. This tall intimidating person...He was actually Seto Kaiba, the person whose pictures her friends swooned over! What was a intimidated little girl like her to do in this situation? Gape like a fish out of water.

_He's actually pretty scary upclose!_ She made a note to tell Miiko that to finally put an end to her incessant questions.

"I can't believe that insolent fool let a fangirl in here. This is a place of business. Nancy, call security to escort her out. " Seto dismissed her. It took a while for her comprehend what had happened. A fangirl? Her? How dare he insult her! Suddenly, her dad got off the elevator and headed towards them. He held a disk in his hand. He noticed that a girl was fuming beside Nancy glaring at his boss' back.

"Amaya, go home now. Your mother is all alone in the house on her birthday," her father started. His wife had telephoned about this twenty minutes ago. Seto Kaiba paused in the entryway of his office as he was on his way to the next room. One hand clutched the doorframe and his body stiffened. Nobody noticed this. Amaya desperately argued with her dad.

"Akimoto, is this your daughter?" Kaiba's eyes roved over her.

"Yes but she was just about to leave now, aren't you, Amaya? I can handle this on my own, Amaya..." He muttered.

"Dad, you're supposed to be home with us now. Mom wants you home," she said, trying to resist him pulling her to the exit. He whispered something to his daughter which evidently disagreed with her.

"Should I follow through with calling security, Mr. Kaiba?" The astonished young man couldn't comprehend the simple question. "Mr. Kaiba?" If this girl's hair was pulled back into pigtails, she would look like the older version of the girl from the Christmas party. He still remembered the feel of her warm lips pressing against his cheek. He resisted the urge to touch his face. He detached himself from the doorframe and faced the pair.

"Why are you here, Amaya? This is a place of business." Kaiba addressed her. Amaya pulled herself from her dad's grasp, fearlessly facing Kaiba.

"Mr. Kaiba, I'll get straight to the point since you're so busy. Please can you grant my dad a day off today so he can come home to celebrate my mom's birthday?"

Kaiba was on the verge of amusement and disbelief. He laughed mockingly at her childish request. "Akimoto, your daughter is priceless. You must be kidding me. There is no chance of me letting your father off just for your mother's birthday celebration. You see, your father did poorly on a proposal that I expect to be revised before the day is over."

"Mr. Kaiba please forgive my daughter. She will be leaving _now._"

She glared at Kaiba then found her dad's desperately pleading eyes. "_Fine. _I'm sorry that I barged in here, Mr. Kaiba." Her dad sighed in relief. He didn't want a repeat of what had happened at their previous meeting. His daughter's sense of justice was overwhelming sometimes to the point that she had gotten trouble in the past. Whether it was defending one of her classmates from a bully or even standing up to a teacher when the teacher wasn't being fair. It was an admirable trait that he lacked. Nonetheless, this was hardly anything to make a big fuss about as it was typical of an employee in a company as successful as KaibaCorp.

She gave him a quick hug. He affectionately patted her head. Being a thirteen year old, she made a distasteful expression at the pat though didn't say anything. She bowed to Kaiba who for one wild moment thought she would get on her tippy toes and give him a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you at work." She made her way to the elevator.

"Akimoto, I think that once you're done with your proposal, you should go home and give your daughter a spanking. She's in junior high school and she doesn't know how to act around her superiors. She should know not to barge in wherever she pleases. You should teach her some manners."

"Uh, Mr. Kaiba, that's too much. Amaya! No!" Amaya's father caught her before she was able to deliver a well deserved kick. She resorted to shouting insults at him. She was the only girl that hurled so many strings of cursewords at him. Eventually she stomped out of the building, huffing and red faced. Akimoto chased after her. His secretary just stared at his livid expression. She jumped back to work pretending that nothing had happened as he glared daggers at her.

In the office, he sat down at the comfortable leather chair glaring at the computer monitor.

_Amaya Akimoto. There's no question. She is definitely the same girl from the Christmas party. _His fingertips brushed the spot that her soft lips had grazed. She had hoped that her kiss would make him feel better on that Christmas day. It didn't; it had only made the day more miserable. Had he been defeated by her or had she been the one who was defeated? He didn't want to admit it. She was still on his mind all these years. She had grown to be quite a lovely girl.

"He had no right to do that! He pisses me off!" Amaya pouted and crossed her arms in an annoyed manner. Her mom just put a hand on her shoulder to calm her daughter down. It was a rarity to see Amaya this angry and it was caused by one person. "You're lucky if he doesn't fire your dad, Amaya-chan. You shouldn't have yelled at him like that. He's probably going to give your dad a hard time about it," Mrs. Akimoto said seriously. The Akimoto family was a middle-class family but only because of Mr. Akimoto's hard work at KaibaCorp.

"Dad should just quit then. He should work for someone a little nicer. I mean, today was your birthday and he didn't let dad go to lunch with us! That's not fair of him!" Amaya said angrily. Mrs. Akimoto just shook her head and clucked her tongue. "Amaya, you can't expect to meet nice people all your life. There will always be someone like Kaiba but you can't let him or her get to you. As for my birthday celebration, it's fine, we'll just wait until he gets home and have a birthday dinner. So you should stop being mad and think about what you'll say when you apologize to him."

"What? I'm not apologizing to that jerk! He deserved it!" Amaya said stubbornly. She was still annoyed at his rude response. What kind of person says that stuff?

It was already ten o'clock at night. Since it was a Saturday night, Amaya wouldn't have to go to school tomorrow so she waited up for her dad with her mom. An hour later, Amaya's dad entered the living room with a weary look on his face. Amaya was sitting the couch, mentally debating whether or not she should apologize to him right now. What if he was mad at her? Mrs. Akimoto rose up from the couch and greeted him. He smiled and hugged her. Amaya sat on the couch with a guilty look on her face. Maybe I should apologize to Kaiba. Even if I don't want to.

"Happy Birthday, dear," Mr. Akimoto said to his wife. He gave her a kiss before pulling a small wrapped present. Judging by the size of it, it was a jewelry box. Mrs. Akimoto unwrapped and opened the small box to discover its wonderful contents; a pair of pearl earrings. While she hugged her husband for the gift, Amaya made the decision to start writing an apology letter after dinner.

"Thank you, koishii! They're beautiful," Mrs. Akimoto said. "Now come into the dining room, Amaya and the maids prepared a dinner for us."

"Amaya," Mr. Akimoto said sternly when Amaya tried to sneak away from them. She turned around and giggled nervously.

"Yes, daddy?" She said sweetly.

"Come here," he said. She complied with his request and let out a sigh while she walked closer to him.

"Amaya, how could you yell at my boss?" He asked wearily. Amaya looked down in shame. She nervously jabbed her toe into the carpet. "You're lucky that he didn't decide to fire me on the spot. Do you know who he is?"

"It's common knowledge who he is," Amaya muttered. "I'm sorry, dad. I just thought that he was being unfair."

"Even if he was, so what? He's always been like that. Don't challenge him. All the toughest businessmen have trifled with him and they've all lost important things. What makes you think that you're any different? You're just one of his employee's daughter," he said.

"I know, I know," she muttered again.

"Amaya, I know that you cared enough for your mom to try to right a wrong but next time, control yourself. Okay?" He said before going to the dining room. Mrs. Akimoto followed after him leaving Amaya to stand alone. She looked at the spot where her dad was just standing. He wasn't mad but he sounded so tired. Dad's getting old and I'm not making it any easier for him. I should be grateful for Kaiba, I guess, he is the one who gives dad a paycheck.

The next day, it was Mr. Akimoto's rare day off so he decided to spend it with his family. "Where are you going, Amaya?" Mr. Akimoto asked Amaya, who was getting ready to head out the door. It was only nine o'clock in the morning. Amaya was wearing a navy blue sweatshirt with light pink flowers across her chest and a black skirt. Her black hair was pulled into a single braid draped over her shoulder. Loose hair strands framed her innocent but nervous face. "Don't worry, dad. I'll be back soon. I just have to do something at Miiko's. It's an important project for school." Amaya was lying through her teeth. She was really going to KaibaCorp to give Kaiba an apology letter. It was true that Amaya was still mad at him but she had to swallow her pride for the sake of her family. Her dad had been working at that company for a couple of years. If Kaiba did decide to fire her dad, he would be so crushed. He had always dreamed of moving up in the company. Amaya couldn't bear the thought if she was the reason for having him fired.

"All right. Go ahead but come home by twelve, I'm taking you and your mom out to lunch," Mr. Akimoto said, peering at her over the top of the newspaper.

"No problem!" Amaya said, bolting out of the front door. Then when she thought of seeing Kaiba again, she began to dread the visit and walked slower. Ugh! I don't want to do this but I have to! I should've asked Miiko to come with me so I wouldn't have to be so nervous. Her dislike for Kaiba made the walk to KaibaCorp an unbearable trip. He's just so mean. I envy dad for having put up with him all these years. If it were me, I'd probably quit in an instant. She entered the huge building clutching the letter tightly in her hands. Yesterday was the first time that she ever been to the company but she had only gone to her dad's office. She didn't have a clue where Kaiba's office was. Maybe I should just ask one of these people. There were plenty of people clicking away at computers and walking around with stacks of papers in their arms. She tried to look for the one that wasn't so busy but the whole place was just bustling.

A familiar 'ding!' sound caught her attention. The elevator. She could just go to the level where her dad's office and ask the people, who works near her dad. Surely, they would know the location of their boss' office. Before she pressed a button, the up bottom glowed white before the elevator opened. Amaya waited until the most of the people got out before going in and pressing the tenth button. Ding. The elevator stopped at the second floor and opened its doors, two people got off and more people got in. When it stopped at the sixth floor, almost all of the people got off except for six men in dark or gray suits. Amaya was closest to the back wall of the elevator and behind the tallest of the six men. She was so bored that she was listening in the men's conversation about going out for drinks that she didn't notice when a brown-haired sixteen-year-old got on.

It wasn't until the six men greeted the young man in unison that she noticed. Kaiba muttered back the greeting. None of the seven even noticed Amaya, who was trying to shift her body so that she could hide herself fully. She had to give him the letter but her lack of courage was keeping her from the goal. Her heart was pounding out of fear. What if he ripped the letter in her face and told her that he would fire her dad? They say that Seto Kaiba is a ruthless person so would a simple letter fix anything? After all, Amaya did say some things that probably did hurt his pride. She peered from behind the tall man to look at the back of Kaiba's head. One of the men in suits finally noticed the strange girl.

"Excuse me, young lady," the man said, tapping Amaya on the shoulder. His acquaintances turned around to see whom he was referring to. Kaiba also turned around to look. He was surprised at the presence of the girl. He never thought that she would come back after what she did.

"Oh, I remember you. You're Akimoto's little girl, Amaya. What are you doing in a big place like this?" One of the men said with a friendly smile on his face. It was Ogasa, one of Mr. Akimoto's good friends. He was an old balding man with a few grey hairs on the sides of his head. When she was a little girl, Amaya used to refer to him as "Bald Santa Claus". He used to play Old Saint Nick for Amaya when she suspected that Santa Claus was nothing but her dad in a false beard and a velvet red suit. Her dad called Ogasa for a favor, which was to dress up as Santa and appear before Amaya while her parents was with her.

"..." Amaya couldn't say anything. Come on! Do this for dad or he'll get fired! "Uh-um. I need to talk to Mr. Kaiba. It's important and it can't wait!" There she said it.

Ogasa grabbed Amaya by her shoulders and shoved her in front of Kaiba. "There you go, little girl. Now what would you like to say to Mr. Kaiba?" He said to her as if she was a child. She mentally sighed. Ogasa has always treated her like a spoiled five-year-old granddaughter. He still couldn't see that she was already thirteen.

"Uh...Could I just talk to Kaiba-san alone?" Amaya asked. The elevator opened for the twentieth floor and Kaiba stepped off. "Wait! Kaiba-san!" She followed the young CEO, who seemed to be ignoring her. Ogasa was smiling at the girl before the elevator doors closed. He was walking faster as they came to a large corridor. "Wait!" Amaya cried desperately. He still wouldn't listen and kept walking to his office. She had to run just to keep up with him. Finally, she clutched onto the fabric of his navy blue jacket.

"What the hell are you doing back here!" He snapped. "Did you come back to insult me some more? Not satisfied that you called me those names yesterday? Have you come to tell me more about my cruel self? "

"No, no! I just wanted to give you something." Amaya extended both of her hands to show him the letter. I should've bought him a gift instead of just giving him the letter alone. I'm so stupid! He took the letter from her and she watched him, afraid that he really was going to rip it up. Surprisingly, he took the letter gingerly from the envelope and unfolded it. She was nervous as his blue eyes scanned the letter. She had spent the whole night trying to write a letter that was suitable for someone like him. She had leafed through various dictionaries, trying to find the appropriate words that sounded businesslike. She had crumpled more than ten pages of paper. She tried to hand write it then resorted to typing the letter. She remembered that her dad said that Kaiba was obsessed with computers. Maybe if she typed the letter, he would think that she loved computers as much as he did. Then she discovered that if she typed the letter, it didn't seem like she meant the apology. So she handwrote it again in blue ink but more neatly than she had done in previous drafts. She was desperate to undo what she did.

"Did you really think that this letter would get me to forget about everything? To forgive you?" He said mockingly. Amaya blushed out of embarrassment and anger. She looked down at the ground before saying no. "Your father is an intelligent man yet you," Kaiba said, lifting her chin with his finger. "are an unwise girl. He knows how to act around important people but you think that people will find you cute so they'll let you slide by with whatever childish thing you do." That was the last straw. She pushed him away and glared at him.

"If you don't forgive me, then fine! You don't have to say something rude!" Amaya snatched the letter from him and ripped it up. The shredded pieces of the letter littered the marble floor. "There! Are you happy now? It took me four hours to write a perfect letter for you! Now my dad's going to hate me!" Kaiba could see tears glittering in the corners of her eyes. Amaya ran to the elevator, wiping her eyes roughly with her sleeve. She didn't want her dad to see that she had been crying. He would be suspicious and figure out that she wasn't working on a project.

"Cute girl," Kaiba said, smirking. He pocketed the envelope and proceeded to walk to his office. His young secretary handed him important documents and his mail.

"Was there anything else you needed, Kaiba-sama?" The secretary asked.

"Yes. Order some flowers: one bouquet of different flowers and another bouquet of red roses. Have the first one addressed to Akimoto's wife and the bouquet of roses to Amaya Akimoto. Have the flowers delivered here before the Akimoto house," he said, looking through his mail. "Then make a reservation for two at that new French restaurant."

"Yes, Kaiba-sama. I'll take care of it right away," she said, picking up the phone.

When Amaya entered the front door of her three-story house, shouting out that she was home and replacing her black shoes with slippers. It was already one o'clock, later than the time she intended to go home. After she ran out of the company, Amaya felt too ashamed to face her dad so she skipped going home; opting for Miiko's house instead to complain about "the arrogant asshole." Her puffy eyes also indicated that tears were also shed over the incident.

She sighed, solemnly walking to the living room to take a nap. She might as well be rested before her dad finds out. As she entered the living room, she was in for a big surprise. For one thing, her parents were sitting on the sofa when they were supposed to be out. Although, the things that caught her attention were all the flowers and brightly wrapped presents. She, as well as her parents, were looking confused at all the gifts and flowers. This confused Amaya greatly. Surely, they were the ones that got the presents?

"Hey, mom, dad. Sorry I'm late. Miiko and I was having trou-" She walked around a pile of presents. "Whose presents are those?" She dropped all pretenses and forgot about her late excuse. Her dad stuck out a bouquet of red roses in her face which she thanked him for; gingerly taking the flowers from him with a smile. The strange thing was that he didn't smile back. He just pointed to the attached note. Confused, she put the flowers on the glass coffee table and opened the mini-card. Her eyes scanned the bottom of the note; a neat signature caught her attention: Seto Kaiba. Are you kidding me! Amaya thought, quickly scanning every sentence.

"Amaya, what is it? What did he say?" Her dad piped into her thoughts. She forgot they were still here.

"You know it's from him?" Amaya countered his question with hers. She looked around at the various gifts and the two different bouquets; the bouquet of multi-colored flowers clutched in her mom's hand and her own. "All this stuff is from him?" She yelled, indicating all the gifts.

"Yes..." Her mom answered meekly. She seemed almost hesitant to answer that. The look on her face clearly read 'I was surprised, too!' Amaya looked down at the note again. Her face flushed.

"What did it say?" Her dad asked nervously.

"Um...He said that he's sorry for yesterday and this morning..." she said absentmindedly.

"This morning? Amaya!" Mr. Akimoto said sternly. "Don't tell me you went down to the company?"

"No, of course not!" Amaya said quickly. Her eyes shot down to the note. "He also said that he's sorry for making me mad." She intentionally left out the part where he asked her out on a date, the part where he said that she was pretty when she got mad, the part where he said she looked cute in her outfit.

Amaya had thrown away the flowers despite her dad's protests. She refused to accept any flowers from the, as she put it, arrogant bastard. She did refrain from saying that in front of her dad though. She also conveniently forgot to mention the date part to her dad. Amaya had ripped the note into a million pieces so Mr. Akimoto couldn't read it.

"You're kidding me with this, right?" Amaya asked with Kaiba's frightened secretary standing behind her. She brandished the note attached to the red roses that he had sent her.

"I'm sorry, Kaiba-sama. Ms. Akimoto said she wanted to see you. I know you're busy and I tried to stop her-," she said, stuttering.

"It's all right, Nancy. I'll make time for Amaya," he said, taking his eyes off the laptop and looking at the livid Amaya. She had a look of pure venom. How dare he call her by her first name like they were close? He signaled for Nancy to leave them alone. When she had exited his office, Amaya looked back at him with great dislike.

"Tell me you're playing some kind of cruel joke with me. You want to date me? You're joking, right?" The word 'date' was like poison on her tongue. Silence hung over the both of them. Amaya waited anxiously for his answer (which hopefully was 'yes') while he took in the sight of her.

In his opinion, she had good taste in clothes. It was sexy but modest at the same time. Her face had a soft sort of beauty. Her light blue eyes contrasted her ebony hair very well. Amaya was getting impatient. "Well? Why don't you answer me?"

She jumped slightly when he got up. His towering height was overwhelming but she stood her ground. He leaned forward on his desk, closer to her. "The note wasn't a joke. I want to take you out on a date. Tonight would be good if you're not busy." She scowled.

"No way," she whispered. "I would never date someone like you. NEVER!" She was shaking with anger now. Who did he think he is? He acted like she'll go out with him after the way he insulted her. She never dated a guy and wasn't interested in dating one. She just wasn't ready yet. She certainly wasn't going to go on a first date with this guy. Amaya turned towards the door to leave but his words stopped her.

"I always get what I want, Amaya. You will come around soon," he said confidently. She gritted her teeth and stomped out of his office. He just smirked after her. "Amaya just hates my guts, doesn't she?"

When Amaya's dad came home that night, she discovered that his boss had a talk with him. More like threatening my dad, Amaya thought. She sat on the couch while her dad pleaded with her. She crossed her arms while her dad wearily begged her.

"Please, Amaya, just one date. If you don't, I'll be fired. And I can't quit either, we need the money!" He added after she suggested that he stop working there permanently.

"Dad," she whined. "He is a complete...ugh!" She couldn't say the word since Mr. Akimoto didn't approve of foul language. "The point is I hate him! Like with you, he threatens you with your job if I don't date him. What kind of person is that? I want to date someone nice, not someone who's a complete asshole." The word accidentally escaped her lips.

"AMAYA!"

"Sorry..."

"Amaya, please..." She looked up at the ceiling than at him. He sighed. "Look, I didn't want to tell you this but my mother, your grandma, she's sick." This caught Amaya's attention.

"Grandma's sick? How come you didn't tell me sooner?"

"She didn't want you to worry about her. Her hospital bills are expensive and I've been helping her pay them. That's why I've been working later nights. I don't want to lose her, Amaya," he said. He broke down in tears. She looked away with guilt.

"Maybe just one date..." She said weakly.

"You look pretty tonight," Seto complimented Amaya. The latter, sitting across from him, looked away and muttered a 'thank you.' This was their first date. Amaya, not wanting to give him the wrong impression, hadn't spend much time in choosing her outfit. She just chose to wear her school uniform, a cream sweater with the school emblem on the left side and a plaid skirt. He didn't choose to wear anything too fancy either. He was wearing a close-fitting black sweater and beige pants.

The maître d' came around and handed them the menus. Amaya thanked him with a smile. He asked her if they wanted anything to drink. She ordered just a glass of water and he ordered a cup of coffee. He went to get their drinks. There was an awkward silence in which Amaya sought solace behind the menu. There were plenty of appetizing entrees but since she wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible. _A salad will do. I can just eat fast and get out A.S.A.P. I just promised dad one date._ She lowered the menu to find that he had decided what he wants, too. She looked like she would like to murder him.

Evidently, he thought this was funny for he smirked. "If you look cute when you're angry, then your smiling face must be beautiful."

She blushed. That comment caught her off-guard. She shook it off. Amaya Akimoto wasn't one to be easily taken in by sweet talk.

"Cut it out!" She snapped at him. "I just want to get this over with." She admitted bluntly. Amaya avoided his gaze, paying attention to the rose in a glass vase. It sat in the middle of the table. She didn't want to admit it but he looked kind of handsome tonight. Don't think of something like that! She mentally scolded herself. I'll never end up liking this bastard. She absentmindedly fingered the rose's petals. Oblivious to her sad aura, she began to think if her grandma was okay. _I wonder if grandma is in any pain now? I wish I had known about her illness._

"Is everything okay, mademoiselle?" The waiter asked her as he put their drinks on the table. Amaya snapped back to reality. She looked at the concerned waiter and lowered her head, nodding. She didn't know that while she was thinking, a tear had slid down her cheek.

"I'm okay," she said, smiling. She thanked him for the drink. He took their orders, collected the two menus and went away again. Her eyes strayed to the next table where a violinist played a soft tune for the occupants. It looked like the man was proposing to his girlfriend. A soft smile played on her lips, bringing out her full beauty. Her date was watching her. He was right after all. She did look beautiful with a smile. He was distracted by somebody.

"Would you like to buy a rose for your lady friend, sir?" She asked him, smiling. She was carrying a basket full of roses.

"How many roses do you have?" He asked. Meanwhile, Amaya focused her attention to another table. A different maître d' put on a birthday cake on their table. Amaya's smile widened. The cake was in the shape of a heart with a rose design on the sides. The man, who was her husband, kissed the woman's cheek. She looked away as they started to sing 'Happy Birthday.' She let out a sigh. She wished her food would get there already.

"I hope you enjoy the flowers," the flower lady said to Amaya. The latter was confused. "Huh?" Before she questioned Kaiba, he presented her with a bouquet of roses.

"Beautiful flowers for the beautiful lady," he said, still holding onto them. Amaya made no move to accept them. His comment caused her face to flush. She was almost as red as the roses. She completely forgot that sweet words weren't supposed to affect her.

"Why me?" She asked bluntly. "You're popular with girls, you know. Almost every girl in my school is in your fanclub. I could at least introduce you to ten girls from my school much more beautiful than me. Do you find pleasure in this?"

"Yes, I do find pleasure in being here with you."

"You know what I mean!" She snapped at him again, slamming her hands on the table. Amaya was furious at him. Her dad worked at Kaiba Corporation since before she was even born. His old boss, Gozaburo had never interfered in her life at all. But now with his new boss, Seto Kaiba, Amaya found her world had been turned upside down. Her dad could lose his job any time now just because Amaya wasn't attracted to Kaiba. How dare he think that he could control her dad's life like that, not just his, but hers as well. What was so special about her anyway? What was it about her that made him want to date her? "I'm no one special. You can just have any pretty girl. Why me?" She whispered the last sentence, playing nervously with her red napkin.

"Because you don't care who I am." He said calmly. She raised her eyes to look at him. "The most you know about me probably is that I'm the CEO of Kaiba Corporation and that I used to be the Duel Monsters Champion. When you see me, you don't squeal and jump up and down like an idiot. You don't try to get my attention at all. You don't care about the fact that I'm rich and could destroy you in any moment. When I didn't allow your father to go to your mother's lunchdate, you screamed at me and stood up to me. Your father doesn't have that much guts."

"Don't talk about dad like that! He has enough courage if he has to work for someone like you."

"I couldn't stop thinking about you after you came back to my office to give me that letter." Kaiba continued as if she hadn't interrupted him.

"Try harder not to think about me." She whispered. Her eyes met his for a brief second before looking down again. "I won't fall for someone like you." He was watching her mouth as she uttered those words.

"What makes you think so?" He asked her. Amaya's eyelashes cast a shadow across her cheeks when she closed her eyes.

"A lot of girls especially in my school have romantic hearts. They think that if you meet someone who tries to understand you (and they're usually referring to themselves), then the ice around your heart will melt. Because of the fact that you're rich and good-looking, they think that that's enough. They would consider it lucky if you were to chase after them but to me, none of that is enough. Not that I'm really that interested in dating right now but if you-" She opened her eyes again. "or just anybody wants to be with me, I need to know that that person would be willing to hold me when I need it and say 'I love you' when I say it to him. I'm not content with dating someone because of their looks or their status or their money. So you're right; I really don't care about who you are." She looked away from him. Kaiba didn't say anything. The bouquet was still in his hands. He touched her hand. She pulled it back quickly but he gently pushed the roses in her hands.

"When the time comes, I'll tell you 'I love you' with your favorite flowers. Your father inadvertently mentioned that you don't like roses much. Say what you want but I'll make you mine. You're the only one I want; not those girls from your school." Kaiba said quietly, getting up and putting the money down for the drinks. He walked out of the restaurant.

Amaya just sat there with the roses in her hand. Her black hair covered the half of her face as she exhaled deeply. A tear landed on one of the rose petals. He was right; she always hated roses. He actually cared enough to learn something as insignificant as that. She left the restaurant, too. His limo was waiting outside. That night she found herself thinking about him instead of the other way around.

"Amaya?" Her dad nudged her shoulder to wake her up. She just rolled over with a pillow over her head. "Amaya, Amaya, wake up!"

"Hmm...wha? What?" Amaya asked sleepily. She looked at her dad with half-opened eyes. "Is it time for school already?" He sat on the edge of the bed.

"No, it isn't."

"Then good night," Amaya said abruptly, rolling over again.

"How was the date with Kaiba?" He asked quietly. She was wide awake now. Her fingers clenched onto the blanket.

"It was okay..." She murmured, her back to him. She didn't want him to see her expression. The two was silent for a few seconds.

"That's good. I was worried that something had happened. You were quiet when you came home tonight." Mr. Akimoto said.

"It's okay, dad. Nothing bad happened," she said, turning around to face him with a smile. He returned the smile gratefully.

"Thank you, Amaya."

"You're welcome. Now good night. I have to get my sleep! I have to take the mock entrance exam tomorrow. " She said cheerfully.

"Good night, Amaya. Make your mother and me proud," he said, getting up. He took one last look at her before closing the bedroom door. Amaya laid back down on the bed hugging a small pillow. The things that he said stayed in her mind. To him, she was a special girl. He only wanted her.

"Seto Kaiba..." The name never used to send tingles down her spine. Her friends threw that name around when they talked about potential boyfriends. Amaya used to just roll her eyes which prompted one of her friends to throw something at her. "We can always dream, can we?" They used to say to her. Then they start to giggle after Amaya threw an eraser back at them.

"I think I'm beginning to-" Amaya let out a yawn instead of finishing her sentence. She drifted off to sleep.

The next day, Amaya was walking with Miiko and Hoshi to the local library. Miiko and Amaya was still reeling from the mock entrance exam that morning. They couldn't believe how many difficult questions were on it. They didn't even study for half the stuff that was on the exam! Now the two girls were going to study at the library with Hoshi. They were grateful that he took time off his busy schedule to help them.

Hoshi Maeno wasn't just Amaya's tutor for three years. He was one of the most popular guys in his high school. Girls wanted him and guys wanted to be him. Not to mention he was handsome and intelligent. Amaya loved to be around him; he was like an older brother to the only child. Miiko, on the other hand, loved to taunt the so-called Mr. Perfect.

"Can you believe I busted my butt trying to study for that stupid test to get most of the questions wrong?" Miiko whined.

"I know. If we don't try harder, we'll never get into that school." Amaya said.

"Mom's going to start nagging me again. 'Miiko, if you can't even get into a high school, how will you ever get to college? You'll need to marry a rich man who can put up with you.'" Miiko said, imitating her mom. Amaya started to laugh when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Excuse me. Are you Akimoto Amaya-san?" Amaya and her friends did a double take at the person behind them. He was wearing a teddy bear costume.

"Um...Yes, I'm Amaya. Do I know you?" She said, bewildered.

"I was hired by someone to give you these." He said simply. He reached into a pouch around the stomach area and pulled out a bouquet of white lilies.

"Thanks," she said breathlessly. White lilies were her favorite flowers.

"Someone's got a crush on Amaya!" Miiko teased. "Who are they from? Don't tell me that Maeno-san send them?" She slapped Hoshi on the back with a laugh. He didn't find it funny at all. No one noticed that he blushed furiously.

"Wait. There's more," the teddy bear said. He reached into the pouch with both hands. He had a box of chocolates in one hand and a small giftbox in the other. Amaya was still stunned so he had to give the remaining stuff to her friend. He took out something else from his pants pocket this time.

_There's more? _Hoshi thought.

"Here's the last of it." He gave three pieces of paper to Hoshi now. "Now you have to sign here." He handed Amaya a clipboard and a pen. While she was doing that, Miiko peered at the pieces of paper in Hoshi's hand.

"NO WAY!" She shrieked right into the older boy's ears. "These are the tickets to the sold-out rock concert this week! They're front row, too! You love this band, Amaya."

"The tickets I've been trying to get for months?" Amaya gulped. Both Miiko and Hoshi nodded. They knew how much she wanted to see band live. The teddy bear guy left them without their noticing. He couldn't wait to get out of that ridiculous costume.

"These are your favorite chocolates; the ones imported all the way from Belgium." Her friend continued to sort through her many gifts. "Amaya, open to see what's inside." She passed the gift box to Amaya. The latter slid the bow off the box and opened it. Her heart leaped at the sight. A flower-shaped necklace with a diamond in the center was lying in the box.

"Wow," Miiko said in awe. Hoshi was boiling on the inside. Who sent her all these gifts?

Amaya was thinking exactly the same thing. She already had a strong inkling. She snatched all the gifts from them and shoved them into her messenger bag. A feeling of annoyance coursed through her veins. She started off in the opposite direction.

"I'll meet you guys at the library later!" She shouted, running to her destination.

Meanwhile, Mokuba was waiting in his brother's empty office. He had just arrived to KaibaCorp, hoping to see his brother. He figured that he'd just wait for Seto to come back. Now what could he do to kill time? He walked around his brother's desk. He noticed that the computer was turned on as usual.

"What's nii-sama working on now?" Mokuba asked himself. He moved the mouse then dropped it. He bent down to retrieve it quickly. Mokuba slowly rose up to look at the screen again. A picture of a girl smiled at him from the monitor. Her black hair was tied up in a high ponytail. Her arms were playfully locked in a threatening pose. The sparkling in her pale blue eyes conveyed she was having fun when this was taken. "This girl looks familiar."

"Mokuba?" A familiar voice made the young boy jump in surprise. Seto came back from wherever he was. "What are you doing here?"

Mokuba crawled awkwardly from behind the desk. He felt like he had just done something very wrong.

"What were you doing behind the desk?" Seto asked.

"I just wanted to see what you were working on," Mokuba said meekly. It was like he just discovered a secret he wasn't supposed to know. He thought he knew everything about his big brother. Seto never mentioned anything about a girl before. Who was that girl on the monitor? The older of the two turned his computer around. Mokuba grinned sheepishly at his brother.

"She's pretty," he said. He was looking for a reaction but Seto kept staring at the picture.

"Miss, you have to have an appointment! You can't just barge in there!" Nancy, Kaiba's secretary cried.

The Kaiba brothers quickly turned to the door. Two loud voices could be heard from outside; a panicked voice belonging to Nancy and an annoyed voice belonging to Amaya.

"Who is that?" Mokuba asked. Seto already knew the answer to that question. He raised an eyebrow. What did he do now?

"I don't care if he's busy! What I have to say won't take more than a few minutes." Amaya's voice carried all the way to the office.

"Miss, I'm only doing my job. You're supposed to make an appointment with him." Nancy pleaded. "Mr. Kaiba!" She exclaimed as Kaiba emerged from the double doors behind Amaya. Mokuba peeked out from behind Kaiba. It was that girl from the picture!

"So you finally decided to show your face." Amaya twirled around to glare at him. She looked defiantly into his eyes. "Listen, you were right. I really don't care if you _are _the notorious Seto Kaiba. If you think you can worm your way into my heart by buying me expensive gifts then you're wrong! Could you just do me a favor and stay out of my life? Here." She took out his gifts. "Take your gifts back."

"Nancy, get back to work," Seto said. Nancy bowed and ran back to her workstation. "Mokuba, could you wait outside while Amaya and I discussed something?"

**Chapter 24 Preview**

"Promise me not to do something like that again and I'll forgive you. You don't have to buy me stuff for my forgiveness. I hate it when people do that. I only want you to treat me with respect. Don't be like Hoshi-san." she said. "Can you promise me this?"

"I promise. Anything in exchange for one of your smiles." Nonetheless, she didn't smile.

"There's one more thing I want you to do. Wait." Amaya lifted the rambunctious puppy into his arms again. She whipped out her cellphone and quickly took a picture of the unlikely pair. Kaiba frowned at the strange event unfolding as she laughed at the picture in her cellphone. "Wow, this is really rare. Seto Kaiba holding a puppy. How cute! Won't your fangirls love to see this? " She swerved to the side when Kaiba tried to swipe the cell phone from her. "No, Seto! This will be my new wallpaper!"


End file.
